BELTON, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' Cowboy basketball team ended the regular season on top of the American Southwest Conference and will host the ASC Championship Tournament despite dropping the final game at UMHB 110-91.
 
The Cowboys went into the game needing a win or a loss from UT-Dallas to claim the No. 1 overall seed for the ASC Tournament next week. ETBU defeated UTD to make both UTD and HSU end the regular season with an ASC record of 12-4, making them ASC regular season co-champions.
 
The Cowboys got the best version of the Cru on Saturday, with UMHB shooting 17-32 from behind the arc, good for 53 percent on 3-point shots.
 
Hardin-Simmons outscored the Cru in the second half 56-53, but it wasn't enough to overcome a first-half deficit of 57-35 in UMHB's favor, and the Cowboys fell by a final score of 110-91.
 
Jason Justice led the Cowboys with 22 points at UMHB, including six made 3-pointers.
 
Austin Brewer had 20 points for HSU going 6-10 from the floor and grabbed seven rebounds.
 
Will Bartoszek scored 18 points in the game Saturday, making 11 free throws and getting seven rebounds.
 
The Cowboys end the regular season at 19-6 and 12-4 in the ASC and hold the tiebreaker for the No. 1 overall seed in the ASC Championship Tournament which they will host beginning Friday at the Mabee Complex in Abilene. HSU will play the winner of ETBU and UMHB on Friday night at 7:30 p.m.
 
--- www.hsuathletics.com ---