BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team controlled the first half and then withstood a frantic University of the Ozarks comeback bid in the final minutes as the Cru held off the Eagles 84-80 Thursday night in Belton. UMHB improves to 10-1 overall and 2-0 in American Southwest Conference play with the win. The Eagles drop to 4-7 overall and 0-2 in the ASC with the loss.
 
The Cru never trailed, but the game was tied at 2-2 early. UMHB scored the next five points and seemed to take control. Darius Musa's three-pointer put the Cru on top 43-20 with 2:22 left in the opening half. Ozarks closed the half with an 8-0 run to cut it to 43-28 at the half. The Eagles made it an eight-point game early in the second half, but UMHB responded to stretch it back out to a 17-point edge with 10:37 left to play. Another Ozarks surge cut it to 775-67 with 3:38 remaining. Two Sam Moore free throws took it back to double figures, but the Eagles scored the next five points to pull to within 77-72 with 2:05 to go. Casey Armour converted a three-point play and added two more free throws to make it 82-72 with 26 seconds on the clock. Bryson Johnson hit back-to-back three-pointers to cut it to four points before Logan Hicks iced the game with a pair of free throws with nine seconds to play.
 
Moore led the Cru with 23 points and he hit 5-6 from three-point range. Hicks had 16 points and six assists, Armour scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds and Kendal Little was also in double figures with 10 points. UMHB shot 50 percent from the field in the first half and hit 6-11 from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes. The Cru finished at 47 percent overall and 12-24 from beyond the arc. UMHB also went 10-10 from the stripe.
 
Jacobe Davis topped the Eagles with 24 points. Winston added 12 points and Johnson and Darnel Renelique chipped in 11 apiece. Renelique also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Ozarks shot 42 percent for the game and was 7-26 from long range.
 
The UMHB men will host UT Dallas in another key ASC contest on Saturday. The Cru and Comets will tip off at 3 pm to close out a doubleheader at the Mayborn Campus Center.