ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' men's basketball team held off a late Mary Hardin-Baylor run and moved into a first-place tie in the American Southwest Conference West Division standings with a 79-71 win at the Mabee Complex on Thursday evening.  

The teams went back and forth with five ties and four lead changes in the first half and the game was tied at 26 with 7:06 before the Cowboys hit the Cru with a 16-2 run to take control at 42-28. Hsu hit four 3-pointers in the run from four different players – Caleb Spoon, Duane Hopper, Ryan Leiss and Christian O'Neal. HSU led 44-33 at halftime.

HSU kept the lead the rest of the way but had to fight the Cru off on a couple of different occasions. UMHB cut it to 52-48, but Spoon answered with a pair of 3-pointers to push the lead back to 10.

The Cowboys led 69-62 when UMHB scored four straight to cut it to 69-66 with 2:18 to play on a Russell Green layup. Duane Hopper answered with a shot in the paint and Avery Polchinski make a 3-pointer for UMHB to cut it to 71-69 with 1:35 to play.

Nathaniel Jack hit a jumper and Daniel Mills answered with a pair of free throws for the Cru making it 73-71 with :50 to play. HSU forced a turnover by Layton Zinsmeister with :21 to play and Christian O'Neal hit four straight free throws and Cameron Barnes two to close out the game.  

The Cowboys again had balanced scoring. O'Neal led the way with 18 points and seven assists. Spoon had 17 and Jack had 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Duane Hopper had 13 points.

Green had a huge first half and finished the night with 22 points and 16 rebounds to pace the Cru. Daniel Mills had 19 points off the bench and Demarius Cress had 17 points.

HSU is now tied with Sul Ross State atop the standings at 6-3. HSU is 11-7 overall. Mary Hardin-Baylor fell to 6-12 overall and 3-6 in conference play. The Cowboys host Concordia on Saturday at 3 p.m.