ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' men's basketball team fell 93-90 to crosstown rival McMurry on Saturday afternoon at Kimbrell Arena.

The crosstown was played for the first time since the 2011-2012 season and the hot-shooting War Hawks put the Cowboys behind and HSU could never get over the hump to take the lead.

The first half was back-and-forth with five ties and 10 lead changes. It was tied at 29 with 2:32 to play in the half when the War Hawks used a 12-4 run to close the half and take a 41-33 lead at intermission.

In the second half, McMurry pushed the lead out to 65-49 at the 11:03 mark, its biggest lead of the game before the Cowboys started chipping away. HSU scored seven straight to make it 65-56 at the 10:23 mark.

The Cowboys kept plugging away and got the deficit down to 74-71 with 6:18 to play. McMurry pushed the lead back to nine at 88-79 with 1:50 to play and the Cowboys were never closer than three points and that came when Cameron Barnes hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

McMurry was 15-for-16 at the free throw line in the final 5:29 of the game to stop any Cowboy comeback attempt.  

Christian O'Neal had 21 points but was hampered by foul trouble most of the second half and eventually fouled out. Nathaniel Jack had 19 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in the contest. Cameron Barnes had 18 points, Justin Jones 13 and Caleb Spoon 11.

LaRandall Scroggins led McMurry with 27 points and Nate Estrada added 13.

HSU is now 10-7 on the year and McMurry improved to 3-15. HSU hosts Mary Hardin-Baylor and Concordia next week in American Southwest Conference action.