Belton, Texas – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men's basketball team hit clutch shots at the end of regulation and the first extra session to get the game to a second overtime, but the Cru's upset bid fell just short in a 120-112 double overtime loss to Hardin-Simmons University Thursday night in Belton. UMHB falls to 12-7 overall and 5-5 in American Southwest Conference play with the loss. The Cowboys improve to 15-4 overall and 9-1 in ASC play with the first win over the Cru in Belton in program history.
UMHB trailed 83-78 with 1:01 to go in regulation, but Braden Hammond's three-pointer cut it to 83-81 with 47 seconds left. A missed Cowboy jumper gave the Cru a chance to tie and Daniel Mills did just that with an off-balance jumper in the lane with four seconds remaining. HSU's potential game-winner was off the mark at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. Hardin-Simmons led 94-90 with 1:10 left in overtime before Demarius Cress converted a three-point play to pull the Cru within 94-93 with 1:01 to go. The two teams traded pairs of free throws to make it 96-95 before Christian O'Neal hit two from the stripe with seven seconds to clock to give HSU a 98-95 edge. UMHB's Aubrie King buried a three-pointer from just in front of the Cru bench with two seconds left to send the game to another extra period. UMHB had two early leads in the second OT, but Hardin-Simmons scored10 straight points to take control of the game and the Cru was hurt by a costly five-second count in the late going as HSU pulled away for the win.
Cress scored 34 points and added five assists for UMHB. Mills added a career-high 32 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, Hammond scored 20 points before fouling out and King chipped in 11 points. Mills had 19 of his points in the first half. The Cru shot 40 percent from the field but went just 9-35 from three-point range. UMHB did force 25 HSU turnovers.
O'Neal led Hardin-Simmons with 24 points and Nathaniel Jack had 19 points and 12 rebounds. Justin Jones scored 18 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, blocked nine shots and added six assists before fouling out late. Duane Hopper also had 18 points, Caleb Spoon scored 17 and Dashun Dixon added 15. The Cowboys out rebounded UMHB 53-44 and blocked 14 shots as a team. The Cowboys shot 51 percent from the field as a team and went 12-30 from beyond the arc.
The Cru will resume its five-game home stand with another ASC West Division showdown on Saturday. UMHB will take on McMurry University in a 3:00 PM start at the Mayborn Campus Center.