New Braunfels, Texas – Hardin-Simmons and Mary Hardin-Baylor earned a share of the 2026 American Southwest Conference Men's Basketball Regular Season Championship after they both finished 5-1 in conference play. Hardin-Simmons secured the No. 1 seed and will host the ASC Championship Tournament in Abilene.
The tournament will begin with two semifinal matchups on Friday, February 27, with the championship game set for Saturday, February 28 at 6:00 p.m.
This will mark the 28th ASC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament.
The Hardin-Simmons women’s basketball team also claimed the 2026 ASC Regular Season Championship and will host alongside the men in Abilene. The women’s tournament tips off Friday at 12:00 p.m. with No. 2 Howard Payne University facing No. 3 East Texas Baptist University.
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No. 1 seed Hardin-Simmons (16-9 5-1) claimed its third consecutive ASC Regular Season title alongside UMHB after going 5-1 in conference play. The Cowboys will face No. 4 seed Howard Payne on Friday, February 27 at 7:30 p.m. This will be the third meeting between the two teams this season, with Hardin-Simmons holding a 2-0 advantage. The Cowboys are making their 19th overall tournament appearance.
No. 2 seed Mary Hardin-Baylor (18-7, 5-1) enters the tournament as co-regular-season champions following a one-loss conference campaign and an 18-7 overall record. The Cru will take on No. 3 seed East Texas Baptist in the first semifinal on Friday at 5:00 p.m. Mary Hardin-Baylor has reached the championship game in each of the past two seasons.
No. 3 seed East Texas Baptist (7-18, 1-5) will face Mary Hardin-Baylor in Friday’s opening semifinal game. The Tigers last met the Cru on Saturday, February 7 in a three-point overtime thriller that ended in favor of UMHB. ETBU most recently captured the ASC title in 2023.
No. 4 seed Howard Payne (13-13, 1-5) will square off with top-seeded Hardin-Simmons in the second semifinal on Friday evening. This season marks the Yellow Jackets’ seventh tournament appearance, most recently advancing to the semifinals in 2025.