BELTON, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team cruised past Texas Lutheran University in the 2024-25 home opener Saturday evening in Belton. The win improved the Cru to 3-1 on the season while the Bulldogs fell to 1-2.
 
UMHB pulled away in the first half with a 6-1 run. Texas Lutheran cut the gap to two before the Cru responded again, scoring seven unanswered points for a 22-13 lead. UMHB went ahead by 12 at the 9:13 mark off a three-pointer from Eli Beard and held the double-digit margin through the rest of the half, going ahead by 20 with 2:52 to play and ending the first half with a 25-point lead.
 
The Bulldogs cut the lead back to teens early in the second half and the lead toggled between 18 and 22 points until a three-pointer from Co Rose put the Cru up by 23. UMHB held the 20+ point margin until the 6:37 mark when Mason Wallace made a three-pointer to cut the gap back to 19. The Bulldogs dwindled the lead to 17 but UMHB responded with another shot beyond the arc from Trey Seigle to take the 20-point margin back.
 
UMHB held onto that lead through the half, cruising to a 92-69 win in the home opener. Eli Beard led the Cru with 16 points while Donta Coady added 14. Maurice Pinnock and Co Rose put up 13 points and 12 points, respectively, while Josh Goings also finished in double-digits with 10.
 
Ryan Pondant led UMHB with seven rebounds while Goings added a team-high four assists. UMHB totaled 11 steals in the contest, led by Coady with three as Coady, Daniel Hutson and Tristan Holden each added a block.
 
UMHB shot 53.5 percent in the contest, making 11 three-pointers. The Cru scored 50 points in the paint with 27 points off turnovers and 51 points from the bench. The score knotted three times but UMHB held the lead for the duration of the contest.
 
The Cru returns to action on Saturday, November 30^th in a 4 p.m. contest at College of Biblical Studies in Houston.