Belton (February 9, 2012) -- The battle of the top two teams in the American Southwest Conference’s West Division lived up to its billing, but the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men pulled away late to post an 89-80 victory over Hardin-Simmons University Thursday night in Belton. The 8th-ranked UMHB men improve to 21-1 overall and 17-1 in ASC play with the victory. The Cru also clinches the ASC West Division title and earns the right to host the ASC Championship Tournament for the third time in the last five years. The loss drops the Cowboys to 16-6 overall and 13-5 in the ASC on the season.

The two teams were back-and-forth the entire game as the game featured 14 ties and 13 lead changes. UMHB built an early seven-point lead in the second half before the Cowboys fought back. HSU would take a 77-73 lead on an Andy Spears jumper with 5:05 remaining. UMHB cut that lead to one point on a Thomas Orr lay-in and Marlon Miller free-throw before a Spears dunk gave the Cowboys a 79-76 edge with 3:59 remaining. Kitrick Bell’s jumper cut the lead to one and Orr hit two free-throws to put the Cru on top to stay at 80-79 with 3:01 to go. Orr’s steal and dunk pushed the lead to three points and the Cowboys missed their last five shots from the field. UMHB would pull away by icing the victory from the stripe.

Miller led UMHB with 22 points and six players reached double figures for the Cru. Bell had 15, James Allen scored 14, Orr and Brian Todd scored 10 points apiece and Greg Wiernas had a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. UMHB shot 44 percent from the field and hit 35-44 from the free-throw line as every Cowboys started finished with at least four fouls.

Matt Addison led HSU with 26 points before fouling out on an intentional foul in the final minute. Spears had 18 points and went 8-8 from the field. Terrance Booker and Derrick Jefferson scored 10 points apiece and Jefferson also grabbed 10 boards for the Cowboys. HSU shot 40 percent from the field, but went just 7-26 from three-point range. The Cowboys won the rebounding battle 43-40 and shot 19-26 from the free-throw line.

UMHB will close out the week with a 3:00 PM tip-off against McMurry University on Saturday. The Cru will then host Schreiner next Thursday before closing out the regular season at Texas Lutheran University on Saturday, February 18th. UMHB will host the ASC Championship Tournament on February 24-26th. The Cru also hosted the ASC Tournament in 2008 and 2010 and won the conference title both years.

The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor women’s basketball team stormed back from a huge first-half deficit and the Cru went on to stun Hardin-Simmons 83-79 Thursday night in Belton. The UMHB women improve to 5-17 overall and 4-14 in American Southwest Conference play with the victory. The loss drops the Cowgirls to 11-11 overall and 9-9 in the ASC on the year.

Hardin-Simmons scored the game’s first seven points and led 16-4 just 5:51 into the game. UMHB battled back to cut it to 45-37 at halftime. The Cru tied the game for the first time at 51-51 with 15:09 left to play and grabbed its first lead of the game at 65-64 on Miranda Shorter’s lay-up with 8:42 remaining. The Cru stretched the lead to six points before the Cowgirls closed to 81-79 on an Alexis Popelar shot with 43 ticks left. UMHB turned the ball over with 22 seconds left giving HSU a chance to tie. Jasmine Lewis missed a shot with four seconds left and the Cru pulled down the rebound. Brittany Zamora then iced the game with a pair of free throws.

Zamora led UMHB with 20 points and she added nine assists. Gabby Guzman chipped in 16 points and Jovana Miles had 12 points and seven rebounds. The Cru shot 45 percent from the field and out rebounded the Cowgirls 38-35. UMHB also went 22-29 from the free-throw stripe.

Alexis Popelar topped HSU with 19 points on 6-11 shooting. Angela Newcombe added 17 points and 10 rebounds. Coco Cartwright had 16 points, hitting 4-8 three-pointers and Kara Looten chipped in 14 points. The Cowgirls shot 56 percent in the first half and finished the game at 49 percent.

The Cru will host McMurry University for a 1:00 PM start on Saturday to close out the week. UMHB will then welcome Schreiner University to the Mayborn Campus Center for a 5:30 PM tip-off next Thursday before closing out the season at Texas Lutheran the following Saturday.