BELTON, Texas – In a balanced game by both teams, #22 Mary Hardin-Baylor pulled away late to hold off East Texas Baptist University, 89-78, in a big American Southwest Conference men's basketball game. ETBU is now 15-4 and 9-3 in the ASC.
 
Four players scored in double figures as Darry Moore led the way with 27 points shooting 11-of-14 from the floor. He has now produced 20-plus points in 10 games this year. Aaron Gregg added 14 points with eight rebounds as Kevin Charles recorded another double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Kurt Labeaud finished with 13 points. Ryan Elzy led the team with six assists. Josiah Johnson (27 points) and Ty Prince (26 points) combined for over half the points for UMHB shooting 19-of-35.
 
UMHB shot 54 percent while ETBU made 48 percent of their shots from the floor. ETBU then made 33 percent of their three-pointers as UMHB finished at 31 percent. UMHB then went 18-of-22 (81 percent) at the line as ETBU was 10-of-17 (58 percent). ETBU led in rebounding, 37-32.
 
ETBU took an early 9-5 lead just two minutes into the game as Jayden Williams made a three-pointer. UMHB went on a 9-2 run for a three-point lead, 14-11, at the 13:29 mark. Labeaud cut the lead to one, 14-13, on a jumper but UMHB went on a 7-1 run in two minutes for a seven-point lead, 21-14. At the nine minute mark, UMHB moved their lead to eight, 26-18, and then had a 12-point lead, 35-23, with 6:03 left. By 2:28, ETBU came within seven, 39-32, on a Gregg three-pointer. UMHB didn't let off the offense making it a 13-point lead, 45-32, with 1:10 left in the half. Moore connected on a jumper with 29 seconds left as UMHB had an 11-point lead, 45-34, at the half.
 
Elzy pulled ETBU to within seven, 45-38, at 18:08 on a fast break jumper but by 14:23 UMHB had a 13-point lead, 57-44. At 13:47, UMHB made it a 14-point lead, 60-46, on a free throw and with 11:07 left it was a 16-point lead, 67-51. ETBU went on a 13- 3 run in five minutes coming within seven points, 70-63. With 2:47 to go, Gregg swooshed a three-pointer to cut the lead to six, 78-72, as that is as close as ETBU would come to upsetting UMHB. UMHB finished on a 11-6 run for the 89-78 win over the Tigers.
 
ETBU will take on Concordia Texas on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. in Austin, Texas.