BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team earned a 94-64 win over Concordia University Texas, Saturday afternoon in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 9-7 on the season and 5-4 in American Southwest Conference action while the Tornados fell to 7-10 overall and 4-5 in league play.
 
Josiah Johnson opened the game with a jumper before Eli Beard hit a layup for a 4-0 lead. Johnson followed that with a three-pointer to put the Cru up 7-0. UMHB's defense held the Tornados scoreless until the 15:49 mark when Corey Thompson hit a three-pointer to cut the gap to four. Zach Engels extended the lead to six with a jumper before Beard hit a three-pointer at the 14:05 mark to put the Cru up by two possessions. Concordia Texas fought back, cutting the gap to one at the 5:44 mark before a pair of foul shots from Johnson and a jumper from LD Butler extended the lead to five. UMHB held the Tornados scoreless through the final 4:50 of the first half, going into halftime up 39-29.
 
The Cru quickly extended the lead to 20 at the open of the second half off a jumper from Connor Zamiara at 15:38. The Cru held on to at least a 20-point lead for most of the second half, leading by as many as 32 points and cruising to a 94-64 victory.
 
UMHB did not trail in the contest, shooting 47.4 percent in the contest with 46 points in the paint and 25 second-chance points. Josiah Johnson led the Cru with 26 points, followed by Eli Beard with 23. Zachary Engels added 14 points for the Cru while Johnson and Josh Goings each added a team-high four assists. UMHB forced the Tornados into 13 total turnovers, led by Johnson and Goings with two steals each. The Cru out-rebounded Concordia Texas 52-34 in the contest with Johnson completing his double-double with a team-high 15 boards.
 
UMHB returns to action on Thursday, January 25th, in a 7:30 pm contest against East Texas Baptist University in Marshall.