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Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team built a double-digit first half lead and the Cru held on in the second half for an 82-61 victory over U.T.-Tyler in the first round of the American Southwest Conference Championship Tournament Friday in Belton. The Cru improves to 20-6 on the season with the victory. The loss ends the season for the Patriots at 15-11.
UMHB opened the game with a 19-4 run and built the lead to 21 points at 39-18 with 3:56 left in the first half. U.T.-Tyler closed the first half with a burst to cut the lead to 42-26 at halftime. The Patriots would close to within 14 points early in the second half, but UMHB pushed the lead back to 21 at 51-30 with 17:12 left to play. U.T.-Tyler would not get closer than 15 points the rest of the way and UMHB would lead by as many as 23 points in the final minutes.
Sterling Phillips led the Cru with 23 points and Theo Ard added 12 points and tied an ASC quarterfinal game record with 15 rebounds. Brian Todd also had a season-high 10 points off the bench for UMHB in the victory. Michael Johnson led U.T.-Tyler with 13 points and Josh Twine also reached double figures with 10 points for the Patriots.
UMHB shot 47 per cent from the field and also out rebounded the Patriots 51-32 in the victory. The Cru hit just 2-12 from three-point range, but UMHB also held the Patriots to just 6-22 shooting from beyond the arc.
UMHB senior guard
Zane Johnston set a new ASC career record by playing in his 111
th game. Johnston broke the previous record of 110 he shared with Tyler Winford of Mississippi College.
The Cru will now face Mississippi College in a 4:30 PM semifinal tomorrow at the Mayborn Campus Center. Mississippi College advanced with an 89-78 victory over Concordia Texas.
