Georgetown, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team watched a 13-point lead evaporate in a second-half cold spell as the Cru dropped a 62-58 decision at Southwestern University Tuesday night in Georgetown. The loss drops the 6th-ranked UMHB men to 1-1 on the season. The Pirates improve to 3-2 on the year with the victory.
The Cru opened up a 24-13 lead with 6:55 remaining in the first half on Antonie Chaney's jumper, but Southwestern responded with a 10-2 run to close to within 26-23. UMHB scored seven of the final eight points of the half to take a 33-24 lead into the break. The Cru would push the lead to 13 points early in the second half, but were held to just one free throw over the next 8:12 as the Pirates pulled to within one point. Southwestern took its first lead of the second half at 52-51 with 4:27 left to play. The Southwestern lead would grow to four at 57-53 before Chaney's reverse lay-up cut the gap to 57-55. Ben Stiver and Sean Myers wrapped free throws around a Blake Scott lay-up to put the Pirates up 61-55 with 29 seconds to play. Chaney buried a three to get the Cru back to within 61-58, but UMHB would not score again as Michael Cantu's free throw with five ticks on the clock provided the final margin.
James Allen led the Cru with 16 points and four assists. Jerard Graham added 13 more for UMHB as Chaney had 11 points and Kitrick Bell pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds. The Cru shot just 27 percent from the field in the second half and went 2-11 from three-point range in the second stanza. UMHB hit just 38 percent of its field goals for the game and turned the ball over 18 times.
Stiver led three Pirates in double figures with 12 points off the bench. Myers pulled down 11 rebounds to go with 10 points. Southwestern shot 50 percent from the field in the second half and went 4-10 from beyond the arc. The Pirates shot 42 percent from the field overall.
The Cru will now return home to host Trinity University in the 2013-14 home opener on Saturday. UMHB will welcome the Tigers to the Mayborn Campus Center for a 5:00 PM start in the final non-conference game of the season.