Covering UMHB Athletics and the stories behind the score
BELTON- It took the UMHB men’s basketball team a few minutes to find a rhythm on Saturday afternoon; long enough that Ozarks jumped ahead 32-24 on one of Grayson Nix’s three three-pointers in the game’s opening half.
But once the Crusaders kicked into gear, there was no stopping them.
BELTON- D.J. Kane flung the ball high into the air in jubilation. A loud roar came from the home crowd. The echo of the final buzzer sounded loud throughout the Mayborn Campus Center. The UMHB men’s basketball team had pulled off an 83-77 overtime win over UT Dallas.
Gibson Hearne quite literally grew up on the basketball court. Now he’s heading into the final regular season games of his college career with Mary Hardin-Baylor.
BELTON- The loss may have been before Christmas, but it was a loss the UMHB men’s basketball team had not forgotten. ETBU’s 72-64 defeat of the Crusaders in Marshall on Dec. 10 gave way to a winning run for 22nd-ranked UMHB, with the Cru having won 11 of their previous 12 entering Thursday night’s rematch with the Tigers.
BELTON- With a three-point shot off of an inbounds pass three minutes into the second half of Saturday’s contest, Josiah Johnson became the all-time career leader in UMHB history in total points, with 1,696.
But he did not stop there.
BELTON- It took little time for the UMHB men’s basketball team to gain a lead on Hardin-Simmons in Thursday night’s ASC duel, and the Crusaders never relinquished the advantage, winning 92-77.
RICHARDSON, Texas- At halftime, on the road, tied a team atop the ASC standings at 6-0 in conference play, the UMHB men’s basketball team reached a sort of crossroads. The second half performance would determine whether the Crusaders snapped UT-Dallas’ eight game winning streak and emerged with a major conference victory, or left Richardson with their third loss in ASC play.
CLARKSVILLE, Arkansas-Back into conference play on Thursday night, the UMHB men’s basketball team eclipsed the 100-point mark for the first time in a game this season.
And an improved defensive effort in the second half kept Ozarks from countering, as the Crusaders emerged victorious 101-80, in their lone out-of-state trip in ASC play.
BELTON, Texas- For the second night in a row, the No. 2-ranked UMHB men’s basketball team found itself in a hole in the blink of the eye. On Tuesday, the Crusaders folded beneath the frustration and pressure, falling 80-71. But less than 24 hours later, exhibiting the maturity anticipated from a squad with a number of key returners, the response was 180 degrees different.
BELTON- With 6:56 left to play in Saturday night’s second round NCAA Tournament duel with Trinity (TX), Ty Prince took three long strides then leapt off the floor, his right hand outstretched.