RICHARDSON (February 27, 2009)--The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men’s basketball team built a double-digit first-half lead and then held off a second-half LeTourneau University comeback as the Cru opened defense of its American Southwest Conference Championship with a 73-62 victory over the Yellow Jackets Friday in Richardson. The victory came in a First Round game at the ASC Championship Tournament and moves UMHB into the second round of the tournament for the third straight season. The Cru men improve to 19-7 on the season with the victory. The loss ends LeTourneau’s season with a 16-10 record.

The game would be a back-and-forth affair through much of the first half before the Cru pulled away late for a 34-23 halftime lead. UMHB stretched the lead to as many as 13 points early in the second half before LeTourneau started to chip away at the advantage. Dale Vanwright’s three-pointer pulled the Yellow Jackets to within one at 44-43 with 13:39 left in the game. Jason Wagner then scored five straight points to help UMHB open the lead back to six points at 49-43. LeTourneau would pull back to within two points at 57-55 with 6:20 left to play. Tim Lytle hit a jumper at the other end to give UMHB a 59-55 lead, but Josh Davis answered with a pair of free-throws to cut it to 59-57 with 4:51 on the clock. The Cru would score the next six points to open up a 65-57 lead and the Yellow Jackets would not get closer than seven points the rest of the way as UMHB iced the game from the free-throw line.

Tilmon Gaddy led UMHB with 20 points and he also grabbed six rebounds. Wagner had 19 points and Elmo Williams also reached double figures with 13 for the Cru. David Ray grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for UMHB. Dusty Evers had a team-high 18 points for LeTourneau and Vanwright and J.J. Rockmore added 15 points apiece for the Yellow Jackets.

UMHB shot just 41 per cent from the field in the game, but went 6-12 from three-point range and 19-27 from the free-throw line. LeTourneau shot 48 per cent from the field, but only hit 5-10 from the free-throw line. UMHB also out rebounded the Yellow Jackets 40-32 in the victory.

UMHB will now advance to a 3:30 PM semifinal tomorrow afternoon in Richardson. The Cru will face either ASC East Division Champion and tournament host U.T.-Dallas or Sul Ross State. The winner of that game will then move on to Sunday’s championship game at 1:30 PM.