LAS VEGAS, Nev. – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team pulled to within two points in the final minute, but Pacific Lutheran's hot free-throw shooting down the stretch made the difference as the Lutes posted a 77-74 victory over UMHB Monday evening. The loss came on the second day of the D3hoops.com Classic in Las Vegas and drops the Cru to 3-5 on the season. Pacific Lutheran improves to 8-2 on the year with the victory.

The first half was a see-saw affair that featured six ties and eight lead changes before PLU pulled away late for a 45-39 halftime lead. That lead would grow to 11 points early in the second half and the Lutes held a 71-64 lead with 4:26 left to play. UMHB closed to within two points at 72-70 with a 6-1 run, capped by Demarius Cress' layup with 1:23 remaining. Pacific Lutheran wrapped five free throws around a Daniel Mills jumper to make it 77-72 with 12 seconds to play. Russell Green's put-back pulled the Cru to within 77-74 with three seconds left, but UMHB was unable to get a chance at a game-tying shot before time expired.

Cress led the Cru with 17 points and Mills added 16 points and six rebounds. Green finished with nine points and nine boards and Sidney Deloach chipped in a team-best ten rebounds. UMHB shot 43 per cent from the field as a team but went just 4-19 from beyond the arc, including 0-8 in the second half. The Cru was 10-14 from the free-throw line and outscored the Lutes 38-28 in the paint.

Dylan Foreman led Pacific Lutheran with 21 points and he was 4-8 from three-point range. Brandon Lester had 20 points and Bryce Harris had 11 points and 10 rebounds. PLU shot 45 per cent from the field and went 8-21 from three-point land. The Lutes also hit 17-26 free throws, making more free throws than UMHB attempted in the contest. Both teams finished with 39 rebounds and combined for just 19 turnovers.

The Cru will close out the D3hoops.com Classic with a 6:00 PM Central Time tip-off against second ranked Whitworth on Wednesday. UMHB will then continue its five-game road swing with a 3:00 PM start at Louisiana College in Pineville, Louisiana on Saturday.