Post Game Press Conference

MARSHALL, Texas – Hardin-Simmons' men's basketball team defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor 73-62 to claim the 2025 American Southwest Conference men's basketball championship on Saturday afternoon at Ornelas Gym in Marshall.
 
Neither team led by more than seven points in a tightly-contested first half that featured five ties and a pair of lead changes. Both teams struggled shooting in the first half as HSU shot 12-of-32 and UMHB 12-of-33 and HSU led 34-31 at halftime.
 
Maurice Pinnock gave UMHB a 39-38 lead with 17:48 to play and the Cowboys responded with a crucial 9-0 run that gave the Cowboys the lead for good. In the run, Chris Bryant had a lay-up, Silas Davis drilled a 3-pointer, Trevion Howell had a layup and Asher Fleming finished the run with an emphatic dunk.
 
The Cowboys added another 10-0 run a few minutes later, eight of those points came from D.J. Jones and pushed the lead out 67-50 with 8:16 to play. HSU was able to close out the game down the stretch.
 
Tournament MVP Bryant led the Cowboys with 20 points and he added five rebounds and four blocks. Fleming had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and D.J. Jones added 10 points. Fleming and Will Bartoszek were named to the all-tournament team.
 
Pinnock led the Crusaders with 23 points. The Cowboy defense limited Eli Beard to 16 points on 5-of-20 shooting, one day after he set the ASC Tournament record with 44 points.
 
The Cowboys' ASC title was the first at HSU since 2017 and the first for HSU eighth-year head coach Matt Brackett.  It was his third trip to the ASC Championship game. He also played at Hardin-Simmons.
 
HSU is 18-9 overall and earned a bid into the NCAA Tournament. The pairings will be announced on Monday. Mary Hardin-Baylor ended the year with a 15-12 record.
 
 
 
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