Abilene, Texas – Hardin-Simmons set the tone early, feeding off the home crowd and a hot start from Matthew Alexander, who scored the Cowboys’ first six points. A 10–2 burst set the tone, and HSU stretched the lead to 19–7 behind timely shooting and aggressive finishes at the rim. The Cru answered with a 6–0 run sparked by hot shooting and defensive stops, trimming the deficit to 32–24. HSU led 44–33 at the break.
After the break, UMHB began to settle in and find their footing. Zach Engels and Donta Coady knocked down key threes, igniting a steady comeback. A three-pointer from Elijah Lawrence gave UMHB its first lead of the night at 57–56, swinging the energy to the Cru sideline.
The final eight minutes turned into a classic ASC battle between the two schools. The teams traded baskets and free throws, tied at 75–75 with just over three minutes to play. A three from Coady followed by an offensive rebound and putback from Hudson Johnson pushed the lead to five. From there, the Cru closed out the game from the free-throw line, finishing with a 90–81 victory to claim the conference title. Matthew Alexander led all scorers with 24, followed by Donta Coady and Zach Engels for the Cru who both finished with 23.
With the victory, Mary Hardin-Baylor earns the ASC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship.
2026 ASC Men’s Basketball All-Tournament Team
MVP - Donta Coady, Mary Hardin-Baylor
Michael Roberts, East Texas Baptist
Asher Fleming, Hardin-Simmons
Matthew Alexander, Hardin-Simmons
Jordan McClendon, Howard Payne
Hudson Johnson, Mary Hardin-Bayor
Zach Engels, Mary Hardin-Baylor
Mary Hardin-Baylor Press Conference
Game Highlights