BROWNWOOD, Texas - The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team earned a dominating 95-47 win over Howard Payne University Saturday afternoon in Brownwood. The win improved the Cru to 17-4 on the season and 12-2 in American Southwest Conference action while the Yellow Jackets fell to 3-19 overall and 1-13 in league play.  
 
Nathan Stolz opened the game with five unanswered points for the Cru as UMHB opened the game on a 9-0 run. The Cru held Howard Payne scoreless until the 16:56 mark when the Yellow Jackets got on the board, cutting the UMHB lead to seven. Kyle Wright made the lead a double-digit advantage on the next Cru possession with a three-pointer. UMHB led by five or more points for the duration of the half. The Cru defense did not allow a basket in the final 2:56 of action, going into halftime up 49-27.
 
UMHB extended the lead to 30 points with a Gibson Hearne layup at 17:55 in the second half and went up by 40 points with 11:05 left to play. UMHB cruised to a 95-47 win from there, outscoring the Yellow Jackets 46-20 in the second half.
 
Seventeen different Crusaders saw action while 15 of them put points on the board. Josiah Johnson led UMHB with 14 points, followed by Ty Prince with 11 and Payton Brooks with 10. Luke Feely was UMHB's leading rebounder, bringing down nine boards followed by Hearne and Johnson with seven each. UMHB totaled 59 rebounds to the Yellow Jackets' 26. The Cru totaled 14 assists, led by Prince with four, nine steals and four blocks in the matchup.
 
UMHB returns to action on Thursday, February 9^th in a 7:30 p.m. contest against the University of Texas at Dallas. Admission to regular season games at Mayborn Campus Center is free.