BOX SCORE

Abilene, Texas – Darius Anderson and Josh Johnson netted 17 points apiece off the bench, but it wasn't enough to key a comeback as the Concordia University Texas men's basketball team dropped a 100-91 decision to McMurry on Thursday, Feb. 10 at Kimbrell Arena. The Tornados sliced a 12-point halftime deficit down to just two points on several occasions before settling for the nine-point defeat.

Concordia, which trailed 48-36 at the half, cut the lead to just two points on a Tayler Jacobs 3-pointer to make it 67-65 in favor of the hosts with 12:30 to play. McMurry, which had led since taking a 4-2 advantage early in the first half, shook off the attempted rally and built its lead back up to nine at 74-65 on a Derick Sumpter jump shot at the 8:47 mark.

But the Tornados did not go down without a fight and cut the margin down to two points again thanks to a trey and layup by Anderson which capped an 11-2 run for the visitors and produced a 76-74 score. McMurry, however, netted the next eight points, including several in transition, to go back up by double figures. A free throw by Jacobs at the 1:14 mark made it 93-87, but that was as close as the Tornados would come the rest of the way.

Nick Haynes finished a pass from Jason Recendez to put the Tornados on the board first in the opening half before McMurry rattled off 10 unanswered and would never trail again. Field goals by Haynes and Jacobs made it a four-point game on two occasions at the midway point of the stanza before a trifecta by Anderson made it a one-possession game at 30-27 with 5:24 left. However, the hosts ended the frame strong and built up a 14-point advantage on a Mark Garza with 11 seconds left before Donald Lee's layup created the 48-36 halftime score.

Anderson and Johnson led five Concordia players in double figures with their 17 points apiece off the bench, while Haynes and Jacobs netted 14 and 12, respectively. Chris McDermott finished with 11 points and three assists, while Williams added five helpers. McMurry was paced by Sumpter's season-high 29 points and Teddy Chambers' double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds. Jaden Isler added 14 points, seven boards and four assists.

Concordia (13-9, ASC 11-7), which stands in fourth and two games ahead of fifth-place Texas Lutheran with three games remaining, visits Hardin-Simmons on Saturday, Feb. 12 at 3 p.m. The Cowboys moved into a tie for first place with Mary Hardin-Baylor and McMurry after beating the Cru by a 78-59 score earlier in the evening.