Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team led for all but two minutes of the game as the Cru held off a pesky Rust College team 91-84 Wednesday afternoon in Belton. UMHB improves to 6-3 on the season with the victory. The loss drops the Bearcats to 1-12 on the year.

The Cru took the lead for good on Austen Stolte's put-back with 17:08 left in the first half. Two Demarius Cress three-pointers and a Daniel Mills basket in a three-possession span allowed UMHB to push the lead to double figures with 8:53 to go in the first half. The lead would grow to as many as 15 points before Rust closed to within 43-34 at halftime. Aubrie King hit three-pointers on three consecutive possessions to take the Cru's lead back out to 15 points early in the second half. The lead would grow to as many as 18 before the Bearcats chipped away. Rust pulled to within five points twice in the final minute, but UMHB had an answer each time to hold on for the win.

Cress led the Cru with 29 points and he hit 6-10 from beyond the arc. Braden Hammond added 16 points and ten rebounds, Mills chipped in 16 off the bench and King scored 11 points. Stolte added 10 rebounds for UMHB. The Cru shot 46 percent from the field and out rebounded the Bearcats 52-37 in the victory.

Allen Potts poured in a game-high 30 points to lead Rust. Romeo Carter had 20 points, Dominique Brown scored 13 points and dished off six assists and Antonio Jones scored 12 points to go with a game-high 16 rebounds. The Bearcats shot 43 percent from the field but could not overcome the Cru's 21 offensive rebounds and huge edge on the boards.

The UMHB men will return to action with the opening day of the Cru Classic on Thursday. The Cru will take on Elmhurst College in a 7:00 PM start to close out the first day of the two-day event. Sul Ross State will face Rust College in a 5:00 PM tip off to open the tournament.