'Roos Drop Last-Second Heartbreaker

ABILENE, Texas - The Austin College men's basketball team went down to the wire at McMurry University, but the War Hawks got a free throw with one second remaining to hand the 'Roos an 88-87 defeat on Saturday night in non-conference action. The 'Roos are now 0-3 to open the year.

Tristan Dick scored 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting and added six rebounds and Jackson Rennie hit 3-of-4 from long range on his way to 13, and Austin College shot better than 46% from the field and 40% from three point range. The 'Roos found themselves even with McMurry at halftime with the score 45-45, and the game remained tight through the first seven minutes of the second half. However, that's when the War Hawks mounted a 9-0 run that took it from a 65-63 game to a 74-63 score with just over 10 minutes left to play.

Austin College battled back and cut it to 76-73 on a basket by Price Bradley with 6:50 left to play, but McMurry regained control and pushed the margin to 83-75 with just over five minutes left to play. Austin College began to chip away at the deficit, getting it down to a one point game multiple times in the closing minutes, and finally pulled even on a free throw by Bradley with five seconds remaining to make it 87-87. The War Hawks managed to draw a foul just before the buzzer, though, and CJ LeBlanc knocked down one of two free throws to give McMurry the 88-87 victory.

Bradley and Jordan Hudgins joined Dick and Rennie in double figures with 11 points apiece, with Bradley also adding four assists and four rebounds. Jason Jones Jr. posted a double-double as the fifth 'Roo to hit double digits in the scoring column, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds. LeBlanc led all scorers with 22 for the War Hawks, and Matt Pena chipped in 20.