HOUSTON, Texas-After an eight-day break from game action, the 15th-ranked Mary Hardin-Baylor men’s basketball team returns to the court for another road duel, facing St. Thomas (TX). One of the top programs in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference in recent seasons, the Celts were picked No. 1 in the 2023 SCAC Preseason Poll and also received votes in the D3hoops.com Preseason Poll. The matchup holds important significance for both teams, who are seeking return trips to the NCAA Tournament after each qualified for the 64-team field last March.
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Setting the stage
Mary Hardin-Baylor (2-1, 0-0 ASC) at St. Thomas (4-1, 0-0 SCAC)
Date/Time: Friday, November 24, 2:00 p.m. CT
Location: Houston, Texas (Jerabeck Activity and Athletic Center)
Follow the action
WATCH: Cooper Sports Network
LIVE STATS: ustcelts.com
Postgame coverage on TrueToTheCru.com
The Series
According to UMHB’s program opponent records, this marks the first meeting between the Crusaders and Celts. St. Thomas was previously an NAIA institution, before transitioning to D-III during the 2019-20 athletic year.
UMHB and UST had a chance to meet in the Second Round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament in the event that both teams won their First Round games. While UMHB beat Schreiner, UST fell to East Texas Baptist. The Cru went on to beat ETBU and advance to the Sweet 16.
Scouting the Celts
St. Thomas rides a four-game win streak into Friday’s contest, having taken down ASC title contender ETBU, 68-58, on the road on Tuesday. The Celts also have wins over UT-Dallas and Hardin-SImmons, with their only loss coming at LeTourneau in the season-opener on Nov. 8, 72-69.
In Tuesday’s win, UST outrebounded ETBU, 41-31, and finished a near-perfect 16-of-17 at the free throw line. The Celts tallied 15 offensive rebounds for 16 second-chance points. Comparatively, ETBU had 10 offensive boards, but just five second-chance points in the 10-point loss.
The Celts have shown stretches of success on the offensive end throughout the first five games, shooting 45.1 percent from the field, with the majority of those points scored inside the 3-point arc. UST has struggled from long-range and on the perimeter, averaging just 6.8 3-pointers per contest on an average of 23.4 3-point attempts. A team that is not afraid to use a quick pace in transition, expect to UST see full-court pressure from the Celts at some point. They utilized full-court pressure off and on throughout Tuesday’s win over ETBU, especially early in the second half. Offensively, that quick pace is also seen, as the Celts tend to push the ball into the frontcourt before passing to the perimeter for a 3-point shot or a drive to the rim. With that aspect in mind, UST tends to limit its passes around the perimeter on offensive possessions, utilizing two or three passes before driving the ball to the paint or passing into the high or low post.
Leading the offensive attack for UST is Calvin Williams IV, a junior guard from Klein Forest High School in Spring, Texas. Williams averages 20.4 points per game and shoots 45.5 percent from the field, and has posted four 20-point performances this season. The first came against D-I Rice in an exhibition in which Williams had 20 points in 22 minutes.
Senior forward Andrew Adebo is another strong contributor, averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per contest. Adebo is a 6-foot-4 post player who hails from Katy, Texas. 6-foot-5 forward Calen Anderson also averages double figures in points, at 10.4 per game.
Bouncing back
UMHB is looking to get back in the win column after dropping a disappointing 68-67 loss to Texas Lutheran on Nov. 15. The Crusaders were outrebounded 40-31 against the Bulldogs and struggled defensively, especially in the opening half. TLU shot 10-of-22 from 3-point range and led by as many as 13 points midway through the second half.
Converting at the line
Having shot 81.4 percent at the free throw line through the first three games of the season, UMHB ranks No. 1 in the ASC in that category (35-of-43). The Crusaders were 21-of-25 at the charity stripe against TLU, and in the marquee win at Illinois Wesleyan on Nov. 11, UMHB converted on 6-of-9 free-throw attempts. Getting to the line could be a challenge against UST, considering the Celts average 16.6 personal fouls per game, the fewest in the SCAC, but if UMHB gets opportunities at that spot, expect a high percentage for The Cru.
On the horizon
UMHB plays its third straight true road game at Trinity (TX) on Nov. 28 in San Antonio. The Tigers are 2-0 overall after a solid weekend at the Paul Peak Classic in Georgetown, Texas that featured wins over Whitman and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.
