Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's and women's basketball teams will return to action with a key road doubleheader at Concordia Texas Saturday in Austin. The women's game will tip-off at 2:00 PM with the men to follow at 4:00 PM at the Concordia Fieldhouse.
The Cru women are 19-3 overall and have a 12-2 record in American Southwest Conference play going into Saturday's game. UMHB has sole possession of first place in the ASC West Division and can clinch at least a share of first place with a win over the Tornados. Concordia is 12-10 overall and 8-6 in the ASC and has already clinched an ASC Tournament berth. The Tornados are also riding a five-game winning streak. The Cru leads the ASC in scoring, rebounding and free throw shooting and
Hannah Holt is the conference's top scorer at 18.6 points per game.
Kendall Rollins is close behind at 16.1 points per game, good for third in the ASC.
Alicia Blackwell and
Meghan Turner have the top two assists totals in the league on the year. Concordia's offensive attack is led by Jaela Dejean's 14.7 points per game and Dejean also has an ASC-best 71 steals on the season. The Cru topped Concordia 78-68 in the previous meeting between the two teams in Belton. Holt had 21 points and Rollins added 19 points and 14 rebounds in the victory. UMHB shot 40 percent from the field and held the Tornados to 35 percent shooting as a team. Dejean scored 20 points and Mercedes Ellison had a double-double for CTX in that game.
The UMHB men are 16-6 overall and 9-5 in ASC play and sit in second place in the ASC West Division going into Saturday's contest. Concordia is just one game behind the Cru at 14-8 overall and 8-6 in the ASC on the year. The game has a chance to be another high-scoring affair with the Tornados leading the ASC in scoring at 94.6 points per game and the Cru ranking fourth at 89.0 points per outing.
Demarius Cress,
LaKendric Hyson,
Brian Long and
Sam Moore are all averaging double-digit scoring on the season for UMHB and Concordia's Joe Neal and Ephriam Price III both rank in the top five in the ASC in scoring. The Cru edged the Tornados 102-98 when the two teams faced off in Belton on January 20
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Shaq Martin had 21 points for UMHB and Cress added 18 to lead six Cru players in double figures. Price had 34 points and Neal chipped in 29 for Concordia, but neither player appeared in a game for CTX last week. The Cru shot 48 percent from the field as a team and held the Tornados to 42 percent shooting as a team. UMHB out rebounded Concordia 47-38 in the victory.
Following Saturday's doubleheader, both UMHB basketball teams will close out the regular season with two more road games. The Cru will play a doubleheader at Sul Ross State University on February 15
th before taking on Howard Payne University in a doubleheader on February 17
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