MARSHALL, Texas – University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball used a strong surge late in the first half to secure a lead and held on through the second, earning a 97-89 win in the 2025 American Southwest Conference Men's Basketball Championship Tournament Semifinal. The win improved the Cru to 15-10 overall while the YellowJackets fell to 18-8 overall.
 
LeTourneau opened the game firing on all cylinders, quickly going ahead by seven before Eli Beard hit a three-pointer to cut the gap to four. Deonte Jackson mirrored that shot for the YellowJackets, putting LeTourneau back up by seven before a Donta Coady three-pointer cut the gap once again. The YellowJackets took a double-digit lead at 12:47 but UMHB stayed in it, eventually cutting the gap down to four.
 
Beard made a layup at the 5:58 mark to cut the gap to two and after another LETU layup, Donta Coady drained a three-pointer to slice the lead back down to one. That pattern continued with scores on both ends until the Cru used a three-pointer from Zach May at 2:43 and a jumper from Coady at 2:07 to take the lead.
 
The Cru forced a missed three-pointer on the next possession and extended the lead off a free throw from Jerry Day, Jr. Jackson Mayes quickly tied it back up for the YellowJackets before another clutch three-pointer from May gave UMHB a 49-46 lead. May put up two more points at the 00:10 mark to send the Cru into halftime up 51-46.
 
The YellowJackets quickly cut the gap to two in the second half but a pair of foul shots from Day put the Cru back up by four. UMHB extended the lead to eight but LeTourneau fought back, dwindling the lead back down to one with 14:32 to play. The YellowJackets took the lead back at 12:08 off a three-pointer from Blaine Walker but Zach May answered with a jumper to put the Cru back up by one.
 
UMHB pushed the lead up to nine with 8:00 remaining and went ahead by doubles off a Beard layup at 6:53. LeTourneau cut back into the lead, pulling within one but a clutch three-pointer from Beard put the Cru back up by four. Beard hit another layup at 1:12 to put the Cru up by six and UMHB held on to the lead through the half, going ahead by as many as nine in the 97-89 win.
 
Eli Beard led the Cru with 44 points, marking a new career high for him as a Crusader. Beard's point total also set a new ASC scoring record for points in an ASC tournament game. Beard added five rebounds, three assists and one steal in the contest. Zach May added 14 points for the Cru, followed by 13 points for Donta Coady and 12 points for Maurice Pinnock. Ryan Pondant was the team leader with 10 rebounds and six assists, adding six points.

UMHB shot 56.1 percent in the contest, making 37 field goals. The Cru also tallied a 50 percent showing from beyond the arc, draining 11 three-pointers. UMHB scored 44 points in the paint with 19 points off turnovers and 15 points from the bench.  
 
UMHB continues action in the 2025 American Southwest Conference Men's Basketball Championship on Saturday, March 1^st at 2 p.m. on the campus of East Texas Baptist University in Marshall.