BELTON, Texas - Andrew Vickers poured in a game-high 31 points on a solid shooting performance, but it wasn't enough to overcome a poor three-point shooting night (4-16) for the Blues as the Whitman College men's basketball team fell 107-95 to host Mary Hardin-Baylor on Friday at the CRU Holiday Classic.
Vickers sank all 11 of his free throws and added eight rebounds for the Blues (5-3) who played their first non-exhibition game in nearly a month. Whitman shot just north of 48% from the floor for the game but couldn't overcome a sizzling 68% shooting clip in the second half from the Cru.
UMHB (8-1) saw three players score in excess of 20 points led by Logan Hicks' 30 points on 6-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Sam Moore and Casey Armour both put up 22 points with Moore adding a game-high 12 assists and Armour contributing a game-best 11 rebounds.
The Cru came out the gates firing on all cylinders. Using an 11-0 run capped by a fastbreak layup from Pat Everett, UMHB grabbed a 15-5 lead less than five minutes into the game. Brian Warinner's basket ended the run and the Blues shaved the deficit to three points off buckets from Vickers and Darne Duckett (16 pts, 5 reb).
UMHB continued to lead but Vickers scored six straight points and Weston Crump's three pointer put the Blues up 35-33 with 4:57 to play. The Cru regained the lead, going up by as many as seven points before taking a four-point lead into the break.
The game opened up in the second half as the teams combined for 118 points in the period. The Blues remained in striking distance for much of the final 20 minutes but never retook the lead in losing by double digits. A Hicks jumper put the Cru up nine points but three pointers from Vickers and Trevor Osborne shaved the lead to five points.
UMHB pushed the lead to 12 points after Moore's basket and foul. Moore converted the free throw and his team went up 75-63 with 9:50 to play. Whitman hung around and cut the deficit to six points on three occasions but never made it all the way back.
The Blues play their second and final game of the Classic on Saturday versus LeTourneau. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m. CT (1:00 p.m. PT).