Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball grabbed a 15-point lead midway through the first half and never let up as the Cru rolled to a 76-56 victory over Louisiana College Thursday night in Belton. UMHB improves to 10-8 overall and 8-7 in American Southwest Conference play with the win. The loss drops the Wildcats to 9-7 overall and 9-5 in the ASC on the year.

The two teams traded the lead early and it would be tied 13-13 before the Cru used a 7-0 run to take a 20-13 lead. LC used two free throws to cut it to 20-15, but UMHB responded with a 10-0 run as Jerard Graham scored six of those points to make it 30-15 with 4:14 left in the half. It would be 40-28 UMHB at halftime. Antonie Chaney's three-pointer pushed the lead to 20 points at 54-34 with 15:18 remaining in the game and the Wildcats would not get closer than 18 points the rest of the way as the Cru cruised to the win.

James Allen led UMHB with 20 points on 7-11 shooting and he added six assists and five rebounds. Allen also became the Cru's Division III era scoring leader with 1,280 points, breaking the mark previously held by Robert Moore. Chaney added 17 points and Graham had 15 points and seven rebounds. The Cru out rebounded the Wildcats 42-30 and UMHB shot 58 percent from the field in the second half and 50 percent for the game.

Kevin Cottonham was the only player in double figures for Louisiana College with 19 points. Steve Evans grabbed a team-high seven rebounds for the Wildcats. LC shot just 27 percent from the field in the second half and hit 31 percent for the game.

The Cru will continue its home stand with a 3:00 PM tip-off against Mississippi College on Saturday at the Mayborn Campus Center. The UMHB men will then play home games against LeTourneau University and East Texas Baptist University next week.