Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team saw a double-digit second half lead disappear in the final seconds of regulation, but the Cru dominated the extra session on the way to a 90-81 overtime victory over Hardin-Simmons Thursday night in Belton. UMHB improves to 10-4 overall and 7-2 in American Southwest Conference play with its eighth win in its last nine games. The loss drops the Cowboys to 12-2 overall and 8-1 in ASC play on the year.
The Cru led 47-37 early in the second half before the Cowboys battled back. Christian O'Neal hit four consecutive free throws to tie the game at 58 with 7:21 remaining. Jerard Graham answered with five straight points for UMHB and the Cru eventually pushed the lead to 70-62 with 2:11 left to play. Graham's free throw with 1:20 to go was the final UMHB score in regulation as Cameron Barnes scored five points and Justin Jones hit a lay-up to cut the gap to 71-69 with 47 seconds left. The Cru missed a jumper on its final possession and O'Neal broke loose for a lay-in off an inbounds pass to tie it at 71 with 2.5 seconds remaining. UMHB would not get off a shot before the final buzzer. HSU scored the first two points of overtime, but Daniel Mills scored eight straight points to put the Cru up 79-73. Clutch free throw shooting by UMHB kept the lead at five or more points before Derrick Jefferson's three-point play with 22 seconds left cut the gap to four. After a UMHB free throw, Graham stole the ball from Jefferson on the ensuing Cowboy possession and the Cru hit four more free throws to clinch the victory. UMHB hit six of its first seven shots to open the game and built a quick 12-point lead. Hardin-Simmons battled back to make it a 38-31 Cru lead at halftime.
Graham led all scorers with 31 points for UMHB and he added 12 rebounds while hitting 11-20 from the field. Mills added a career-high 26 points and 10 boards. Russell Green also reached double figures with 13 points. The Cru shot 53 percent from the field for the game and went 4-5 in overtime. UMHB shot 50 percent from beyond the arc and the team hit 21-27 from the free throw line.
Jefferson led the Cowboys with 28 points and he added 10 rebounds while shooting 11-16. O'Neal chipped in 20 points and Duane Hopper had 13 more off the bench. HSU shot 42 percent as a team and went 9-31 from three-point range. The Cowboys were just 12-20 from the free throw line in the loss.
Thursday's game was the opener of a four-game home stand for the UMHB men. The Cru will return to action with a 3:00 PM home game against defending conference champion U.T.-Dallas on Saturday.