Abilene, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team went cold from the free-throw line late in the second half and the Cru could not overcome Hardin-Simmons' huge advantage from the stripe in a 90-86 loss to the Cowboys Thursday night in Abilene. The loss snaps UMHB's four game winning streak and drops the Cru to 11-5 overall and 4-4 in American Southwest Conference play. The Cowboys improve to 5-10 overall and 3-4 in the ASC with the victory. The game was the ASC West Division opener for both teams.

Hardin-Simmons grabbed a ten-point lead early in the first half before UMHB heated up and grabbed a 48-42 halftime lead. The two teams swapped the lead through much of the latter half of the final 20 minutes before Joe Hoeup's three-pointer gave HSU an 81-75 lead with 3:21 left to play. The Cru would whittle the lead down to three points on two occasions in the final seconds, but the Cowboys were able to answer from the line each time to ice the win.

Demarius Cress hit 4-7 three-pointers and led UMHB with 22 points. Kendal Little scored a season-high 12 points off the bench for the Cru and Sam Moore had 11 points and Aubrie King ten to give UMHB four players in double figures. Justin Gammill had a team-high nine rebounds. The Cru shot 56 percent from the field in the first half and finished at 49 percent for the game. UMHB was 9-15 from the free-throw line in the second half and went 14-23 from the stripe in the game.

Hoeup led HSU with 25 points and Keilyn Nance added 19 points and eight rebounds. Caleb Spoon and Keenan Holdman chipped in 14 points apiece. The Cowboys were 18-22 from the free-throw line in the second half and shot 29-34 for the game. HSU also hit 47 percent from the field as a team and out rebounded UMHB 38-31 in the contest.

The Cru will close out its two-game swing through Abilene with a 4:00 PM start at McMurry University on Saturday. UMHB will then return home to open a five-game home stand next Saturday.