LONGVIEW, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' men's basketball team won a tough 84-78 American Southwest Conference game at defending league champion LeTourneau on Thursday night at Solheim Arena in Longview.

The teams were tightly contested in the first before LeTourneau used a 14-2 run to open up a 37-23 lead with 4:08 to play in the first half. HSU narrowed the deficit to 37-32 with a 9-0 run to close the half.

HSU came out cold to start the second half and did not score for the first 4:27 of the second half and LeTourneau pushed the lead out to 48-32 and eventually led 56-39 with 14:13 to play. HSU then started a slow chip away.

Aidan Walsh scored seven quick points and cut the deficit to 61-54 with a 3-pointer with 9:41 left in the game. HSU finally tied the game at 69 on a Neal Chambliss dunk. Freshman D.J. Stewart had a 3-point play and Chase Cobb hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to make it 75-69.

LeTourneau scored six straight but the Cowboys finished it off down the stretch, Trey Wooldridge sealed the game when he rebounded his own miss free throw and put it back in with :15 to play.

Walsh scored a career-best 29 points and Trey Wooldridge had a career-best 21 points and added 11 rebounds to pace the Cowboys. Chase Cobb added 12 points and Neal Chambliss scored 10 points. HSU was short-handed with injuries and illness.

Andrew Eberhardt led LeTourneau with 24 points and John Argue had 18 points and 13 rebounds.

The Cowboys have won five straight games and are now 6-2 overall and 1-0 in league play. LeTourneau is now 2-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play. HSU plays at East Texas Baptist on Saturday at 3 p.m.

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