Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team held LeTourneau University to just two points in the first nine minutes in building a 20-point first half and coasting to a 73-45 victory over the Yellowjackets Thursday evening in Belton. The Cru improves to 12-8 overall and 10-7 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops LeTourneau to 4-15 overall and 3-13 in the ASC on the season.

UMHB scored the game's first eight points before the Yellowjackets finally scored at the 15:10 mark. The Cru stormed out to a 19-2 lead and went up 30-10 before settling for a 39-23 halftime lead. LeTourneau never got closer than 16 points the rest of the way as UMHB led by as many as 34 points in the second half.

James Allen topped the Cru with 17 points and he added five rebounds, four assists and three steals. Jerard Graham scored 15 points and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds and Kitrick Bell and Antonie Chaney chipped in 13 points apiece. UMHB out rebounded LeTourneau 42-33 and the Cru shot 48 percent from the field in the victory. UMHB also scored 30 of its points in the paint.

Ladaria Brown was the only player in double figures for the Yellowjackets with 13 points off the bench. Brown also had a team-best six boards. LeTourneau shot just 30 percent from the field and went 7-15 from the free-throw line in a game they never led.

The Cru will close out it home stand with a 3:00 PM tip-off against East Texas Baptist University on Saturday at the Mayborn Campus Center. The UMHB men will then play road games at University of the Ozarks and U.T.-Tyler next week. There are just five games remaining in the regular season for the Cru.