CLAREMONT, Calif. – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team dropped its season opener at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Tuesday night in Claremont.
 
The Stags used a 9-0 run early in the first half to grab a lead on the Cru. CMS held on to that advantage, leading by as many as 23 points in the first half and going into halftime with a 40-20 lead. Josiah Johnson led the Cru with seven points in the first half while Luke Feely added a team-high three rebounds.
 
UMHB responded well in the second half, outscoring the Stags 50-41. CMS held a double-digit lead through the half with the Cru cutting the lead to 11 at the final with an 80-71 win for the Stags.
 
UMHB totaled 16 points off turnovers in the contest with 22 points coming from the Crusader bench. Claremont-Mudd-Scripps led the entire game with 17 second-chance points. UMHB had 28 points in the paint, shooting 39 percent in field goals.
 
Johnson led the Cru with 17 points, followed by Ty Prince with 14. Feely led the Cru with seven rebounds while Kyle Wright and Braedyn Dawes each added three assists. UMHB shot 38 percent from beyond the arc and 81 percent in free throws while the Stags shot 51.8 percent from the field and 48 percent in threes.
 
UMHB returns to action on Wednesday, November 9^th in a 7 p.m. (PST) contest at University of Redlands.