On the heels of Mary Hardin-Baylor winning the Division III football national title in December, the basketball teams are in the NCAA Tournament as well. Photos by David Morris for UMHB athletics; Larry Radloff, d3photography.com

By Riley Zayas
Managing Editor, True to the Cru

BELTON, Texas — Saturday evening, as dusk settled into darkness, the crowd began arriving inside the Mayborn Campus Center. And they did not stop. Not until 2,048 of the arena’s 2,500 seats were full, setting the record for attendance at a UMHB men’s basketball game.

But more than a figure, the attendance was a representation. A representation of the rejuvenated buy-in from the community, the alumni, and the current student population, as the Crusaders aimed at their first American Southwest Conference tournament title since 2010. Word had quickly spread that something special was taking place as UMHB picked up win after win under second-year head coach Clif Carroll. 

• Men's NCAA Tournament coverage: Bracket | Scoreboard | More features
• Women's NCAA Tournament coverage: Bracket | Scoreboard | More features
• Coaching changes starting already

The memorable season continued Saturday night, as the Cru claimed its 25th win of the year, defeating LeTourneau 99-82, and earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament. 

“After our shootaround at noon, I literally sat in the gym the rest of the afternoon, just looking at the banners,” an elated Carroll said postgame on Saturday. “I knew exactly when the last [ASC Championship] was. This is why you come here.” 

The women’s team went through a similar rise to national recognition during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. The Cru, guided by the senior trio of Hannah Holt, Kendall Rollins, and Alecia Blackwell, led the team to the round of 16, before everything was called off due to COVID-19. 

But never before have both teams enjoyed success like this season. After a 1-2 start, the Crusader women went on a 20-game win streak, reaching as high as No. 14 in the D3hoops.com Top 25 poll, and won the ASC regular season title. Likewise, the men followed up on a 13-0 conference mark a year ago with a 25-2 record, en route to both ASC regular season and tournament titles.

In fact, this marks the first NCAA Tournament appearance ever for the men’s and women’s teams in the same year, something Carroll noted stems partially from the university administration as a whole. UMHB is one of nine schools that has both of its programs competing in March. 

“It starts at the top, with [university president] Dr. Randy O’Rear,” Carroll said of UMHB’s success. “His vision for the school and the pride he takes in how we perform. They certainly give us the resources to be good. That’s not just basketball. You look at football, soccer, and volleyball. We have winners everywhere.” 

Over recent seasons, the Crusader women have become a sort of fixture in the national tournament, and despite being eliminated from the conference tournament in the semifinal round, posted a strong enough resume for a Pool C bid entering this year’s tournament. 

But for the men, the situation has been completely different. The last time the team reached the postseason, UMHB took an at-large bid all the way to the national championship game, falling to Amherst in Atlanta in 2013. 

“We’re actually the only D3 team in Texas to have made it to the national championship game,” said UMHB assistant Thomas Orr, who scored 24 points for the Cru in the 2013 national title game.

Making it that far is the obvious goal for any of the 128 teams still playing at this point in the season. It rings especially true for the UMHB women’s team, whose four returners from the 2019-20 team were left with a feeling of not seeing their last tournament run through, when the tournament was canceled. 

“Getting [to the tournament] as a sophomore was so exciting, and having it canceled was just devastating,” senior starting guard Bethany McLeod said. “I knew that we were going to end up beating (Christopher Newport). 

“This being my last season, realizing I’m not going to get to play anymore, has been such a strong reminder. This is my last chance to get that ring and get all the way to the national championship game.”

That has been a message echoed by the team’s other two seniors; Kasey Jo Hinton and Alexia Martin. But before looking too far ahead, the Cru must first survive a stacked pod in Memphis that features Webster, Rhodes, and East Texas Baptist. 

UMHB is looking to hand SLIAC champ Webster its first loss of the season in Friday’s 5 p.m. CT duel, and according to Morefield, likes its matchup in the frontcourt.

“Going through the preparation process for Webster, they do a lot of high-low action, and try to get it into the post,” Morefield noted Monday. “Which is great, because we are confident in our post players and feel comfortable in that matchup.” 

“Stacked” could be an accurate description of UMHB’s draw on the men’s side as well, though playing on its home court certainly will provide a higher comfort level. The pod in Belton, includes NWC champion Whitworth, Trinity (Texas) of the SCAC, and Chapman, the SCIAC’s runner-up. 

“All I heard, before this moment, was that we’re probably not going to host,” UMHB senior guard Kyle Wright said minutes after Monday’s selection of UMHB hosting was revealed. “It was a little disappointing hearing that. But as soon as that was announced, the room went crazy.” 

The Crusaders battle Chapman in the first round Friday at 5:30 p.m. local time, and despite playing on their home court, Carroll is not expecting the tournament opener to be effortless by any definition. The Panthers are 22-4, with a 12-3 mark in the SCIAC, and bring in a roster headlined by 10 seniors. 

“They’re a scary team,” Carroll said of Chapman, “because they’re extremely well-coached. Calling some of the coaches in that area, they all tell you, ‘They’re extremely well-coached.’ So it starts with [head coach Mike Bokosky].”

“He’s got a team that has several seniors. Basically, every kid that’s going to tough the court on Friday is a senior. Those teams are scary, because they’re playing for the culmination of their careers.” 

Reaching an historic level, with both teams in their respective NCAA Tournaments for the first time in the same year, can be traced back to a number of factors. One is the obvious support from the university administration. Another is the buy-in from the community. But a significant part of the recent success for the Crusaders can be traced back to those driving the programs: the players themselves.

“I think Mark [Morefield] and I have a similar eye for the type of kids we want,” Carroll said. “We get high-achieving kids that strive for success in everything they do. They care about their communities, they care about the school, and that really translates into kids that want to win.”