Second Half Run Pushes HPU Past 'Roos

BROWNWOOD, Texas - The Austin College men's basketball team dropped its road game at Howard Payne University 80-73 on Tuesday, as the Jackets used a 10-0 run midway through the second half to gain the lead and never relinquished it down the stretch. The 'Roos are now 2-3 overall on the year.

With the game tied at 48 apiece, Austin College went on an 8-0 run capped off by a three-point play from Joshua Joe to make it 56-51 with 11:50 remaining. However, the Jackets would respond with the decisive 10-0 run, taking a 61-56 lead with 8:18 left to play. After Joe knocked down a three to stop the run, the Jackets scored the next four points to push the margin back to six with just over seven minutes left in the game.

The deficit grew to 71-62 with 3:34 on the clock, and after baskets by Jordan Hudgins and Tristan Dick trimmed it to a 73-71 game with a minute and a half remaining, HPU would close the game on a 7-2 run to make it an 80-73 final. Austin College shot 44.6% from the field in the game, but HPU managed to hit just over 52% of their attempts from the field. The 'Roos made just 5-of-25 triples and only 10-of-22 free throw attempts in the defeat.

Dick had 17 points to lead all scorers, adding six rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Joe finished with 15 points and added three assists, while Hudgins came off the bench to score 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, pulling down four rebounds. Howard Payne used a balanced scoring attack led by 13 points from Harold Myart.

Austin College is back on the road on Saturday, when they head to Arkansas to take on the University of the Ozarks.