DANVILLE, Virginia – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team used hot shooting to build a double-digit second half lead and then the Cru held off a late rally in a 70-69 victory over Averett University Sunday in Virginia. UMHB improves to 3-1 on the season with the win. The loss drops the Cougars to 2-1 on the year.
 
The Cru trailed 32-31 at halftime, and trailed by four points at 46-42 with 13:19 left to play. UMHB used an 18-4 run to grab a 60-50 lead with 7:27 to go and the lead would grow to 11 points 2:25 later. The Cougars answered with a run of their own and took a 69-68 lead on a Montre' Cash free throw with 1:14 on the clock. Sam Moore hit two clutch free throws with 54 seconds remaining to put the Cru up 70-69. The Cougars missed a layup with eight seconds left and UMHB committed a foul with one second to go. Averett missed both free throws and a potential game-winning tip-in would not fall as the Cru held on for the victory.
 
Byrale Carter led UMHB with 16 points and seven rebounds. Devyn Brewton added 13 points and Salomon Smith scored 12 for the Cru. UMHB shot 45 percent from the field in the second half and hit 43 percent for the game. The Cru hit 5-20 from three-point range and went 13-19 from the line. UMHB pulled down 40 rebounds in the game compared to 41 for the Cougars.
 
Cash led Averett with 16 points and Raymond Bullock III added 13 more off the bench. UMHB held the Cougars to 39 percent shooting from the field and 1-8 from beyond the arc in the second half. Averett was 14-24 from the free-throw line.
 
The UMHB men will return to action with another non-conference road game. The Cru will take on Southwestern University in a 7 pm tip-off Thursday in Georgetown.