UMHB made 51 percent of its shots and played smothering defense as the 12th-ranked Crusaders pummeled Schreiner 72-41 Thursday night at Mayborn Campus Center.
The Crusaders (17-3 overall, 14-2 American Southwest Conference) extended their home winning streak to 22 games and widened their lead in the ASC West Division to four games over Hardin-Simmons and Concordia Texas.
The possible bad news is a result of a play with 1:09 left in the first half, when junior guard Jason Wagner crumpled to the ground and clutched his right knee following a fast-break layup. He was helped to the bench and did not return.
“We don’t know anything about him right now and probably won’t know until (Friday afternoon),” UMHB Ken DeWeese said of Wagner, who is second on the team in scoring and had averaged 15 points in the last four games. “They have to wait and see how the swelling is. It puffed up pretty good and that’s not a good sign.”
The injury was about the only thing that went wrong for the Crusaders, who didn’t score a point in the final 5 minutes and still won by 31.
Schreiner (4-15, 4-11) never led and missed its first eight shot attempts. The Mountaineers finally registered a field goal with 10:56 left in the first half, by which time UMHB already led by a dozen points.
The Crusaders’ stifling man-to-man defense stymied the Mountaineers, who shot a dismal 26 percent from the field, including a 5-for-26 performance from 3-point range.
Junior guard Zane Johnston had a season-high 14 points to pace UMHB. Junior wing Tilmon Gaddy added 11 points as did junior guard Tim Lytle, who was 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
“Coach and I had a film session today that focused mainly on defense,” Johnston said. “He basically told me that if I get my defense going and get into the flow of the game, then the offense will come. And that’s what happened.”
The Crusaders were up 43-20 at halftime and held their biggest lead at 70-30 with 7:05 remaining.
The Mountaineers’ top scorer was reserve guard Jess Hagan, who entered late in the game had nine points - all on 3-pointers in the closing minutes.
“What we have to understand when we’re playing these teams in the bottom of the standings is that we’re not only facing our opponent, but we also have to realize we have another opponent between our ears,” said DeWeese, whose squad will face last-place Texas Lutheran on Saturday in Seguin.
“We have to make sure we don’t look past anybody because no matter who you’re playing, a win or a loss counts the same.”
NOTE: UMHB played without senior forward Matt Dickey, who suffered a broken bone in his hand during Tuesday’s victory over Concordia Texas. According to DeWeese, Dickey could be for out for as little as two weeks or as much as the remainder of the season.
edrennan@temple-telegram.com
