BELTON, Texas – Two of the top teams in the American Southwest Conference battled down to the final seconds as the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders escaped, 98-95, over East Texas Baptist University. ETBU is now 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the ASC East Division
 
Robby Dooley posted a career-high 30 points on 11-of-13 shooting while Landin Brown posted a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds to go with a team-leading eight assists. Nathan Fontenot went six-of-seven from the field for 16 points while Jarrell Taylor added 15 of his own. UMHB saw Lakendric Hyson post a double-double with 29 points and 12 rebounds. Brian Long was second on the team with 22 points for UMHB while Demarius Cress dished out seven assists to lead the Crusaders.
 
ETBU would outshoot the Crusaders in field goal percentage (61.7%-47.5%) and three-point percentage (57.7%-26.7%) but the Crusaders would control much of the other categories including points off turnovers (21-6) and points in the paint (56-36). In addition, UMHB out rebounded ETBU 38-33.
 
Dooley would get the Tigers rolling in the first half with five straight points (20:00-18:24). This would spark the Tigers to a 15-4 lead (15:34) with Taylor (17:28, 16:32) contributing five points in the run. UMHB would respond with a 10-5 run (15:15-14:00) to trail 20-14. After exchanging points to trail 22-16 (12:57), UMHB picked up seven straight points to go up 23-22 (11:26). UMHB would lead 27-25 (9:16) before the Tigers would answer with eight straight points (8:13-7:20) as it was 33-27 for the Tigers. This would include the first of two straight three's from Spencer Cochran as the Tigers pushed the lead to eight at 36-28 (6:38). UMHB would tie the game at 38 (4:29) and the two teams would exchange leads no more than three points until halftime was knotted 47-47.
 
The Crusaders started the second half with six consecutive points (20:00-18:47) to go up 53-47. Yet, the Tigers kept themselves in position to grab the lead as they would get seven points from Brown (17:59, 17:16, 14:54) and four from Dooley (16:04,15:24). Down 66-61, both Brown (14:13) and Dooley (13:37) would drain three-pointers to give the Tigers the lead again. The Tigers would then extend their lead to 76-71 (10:54) only for UMHB to cut it to one at 78-77 (9:36). This pattern would continue as ETBU would post the margins to 85-80 (8:27) and 89-83 (7:04) with Dooley scoring his fifteenth point in the half alone. But afterwards, UMHB posted seven unanswered to lead 90-89 (4:01). Each team would trade buckets before UMHB went up 94-91 (1:59). Taylor's jumper (1:52) cut the deficit to one before UMHB extended the lead to three. After Gavin Sabo (1:10) made a layup to see the score at 96-95, UMHB would turn the ball over giving ETBU the chance to win. However, ETBU committed a turnover of their own allowing UMHB to put a layup with three seconds left. The Tigers would get a shot off, but it was not to be and UMHB hung on for the 98-95 win.
 
ETBU will resume their schedule Saturday as they travel to Austin, Texas, to face Concordia University-Texas at 3:00 p.m.