Marshall, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team was ice cold in the first half and could not hold on to a second-half lead in a 66-57 loss to East Texas Baptist University Thursday night in Marshall. The loss snaps the Cru's eight-game winning streak and drops UMHB to 9-3 overall and 5-1 in American Southwest Conference play on the season. The Tigers improve to 6-6 overall and 2-4 in ASC play with the victory.

The Cru fell behind by double digits at 24-14 late in the first half and trailed by as many as 12 points before cutting it to 28-19 at halftime. UMHB shot just 19 percent from the field in that half and only hit 1-12 from three-point range. The Cru fought back to tie the game twice in the second half and took a 42-38 lead as Kitrick Bell and Thomas Orr combined to score eight straight points. A James Allen three-pointer gave UMHB its final lead at 47-45 with 7:06 remaining, but the Tigers used a 5-0 run to retake the lead. The Cru would get back to within one point, but went cold from the field again and ETBU pulled away late at the free-throw line.

Brian Todd led UMHB with 13 points off the bench. Bell and Orr added 11 points and 10 rebounds apiece and Allen also chipped in 11 points. The Cru shot just 30 percent from the field in the game and finished 4-24 from beyond the arc. UMHB out rebounded the Tigers 48-35 and pulled down 21 offensive rebounds in the game.

Chris Collins came off the bench to lead ETBU with 15 points and he was 3-5 from three-point range. Jaron Joseph added 11 points and Junior Mitchell chipped in 10 for the Tigers. ETBU shot 44 percent from the field and hit 18-29 from the free-throw line in the contest.

The Cru will close out ASC crossover play with a 3:00 PM start at East Division leader U.T.-Tyler on Saturday. The UMHB men will then return home to open ASC West Division play with games against Concordia Texas and Hardin-Simmons University next week.