Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team built a double-digit lead and then held on with clutch free-throw shooting in the final seconds as the Cru posted a 73-67 victory over Trinity University Saturday evening in Belton. UMHB improves to 2-1 on the season with the victory. The loss drops the Tigers to 2-4 on the year.
The two teams would trade the lead throughout the early going with six ties and six lead changes in the first half. UMHB opened up a 38-26 lead on Jerard Graham's three-pointer with 3:03 left in the half, but Trinity closed the half with an 8-1 run to cut it to 39-34 Cru at the break. The Tigers closed to within two at 53-51 midway through the second half, but Graham and Antonie Chaney combined to take over as stretch the lead to 12 points at 66-54 with 5:04 remaining. Two Trinity free throws cut the gap to 66-56, but Layton Zinsmeister's three gave the Cru its largest lead of the game at 69-56. The Tigers would get four points from Jonathan Wilt, a three-pointer from Robert Kitzinger and a William Young lay-up to pull to within 69-65 with 1:41 left to play. UMHB then iced the game with clutch free throws from James Allen, Graham and Russell Green to preserve the victory.
Graham topped the Cru with 21 points and 15 rebounds. He also added six assists and four steals. Allen had 19 points and five boards, Kitrick Bell chipped in 12 points and Chaney scored 11 as that quarter combined for 63 of UMHB's 73 points. The Cru shot 44 per cent from the field and out rebounded Trinity 38-31 in the win.
Kitzinger topped the Tigers with 20 points and Wilt added 12 points and five rebounds. Trinity shot 42 per cent from the field and hit 11 three-pointers in the game. The Tigers were just 2-8 from beyond the arc in the second half, however.
The Cru will now open American Southwest Conference play with another home game next Thursday. UMHB will welcome Sul Ross State University to the Mayborn Campus Center for a 7:30 PM tip-off in the second half of a women's-men's doubleheader.