BELTON – The Howard Payne men’s basketball team saw all five starters reach double figures in points and defeated the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders 90-88 on the road Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets (12-13, 3-5) had five players score in double figures, led by Hudson Johnson, who had 21 points and two steals. Trey Jackson added a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds and Armonie Ramey helped out with 17 points, six rebounds and two steals.

The Howard Payne offense was impressive from three-point land, knocking down 15 threes on 32 attempts. Ben Phillip hit four treys for the Yellow Jackets in the contest.

The Howard Payne defense was a problem in Saturday’s game, forcing 14 Mary Hardin-Baylor turnovers while committing 11. Those takeaways turned into 17 points on the other end of the floor. Johnson’s two steals led the way individually for the Yellow Jackets.

How It Happened

After jumping out to a 16-14 advantage, Howard Payne went on a 10-0 run with 14:24 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Johnson, to increase its lead to 26-14. The Yellow Jackets then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 48-39 advantage. Howard Payne relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down nine shots to account for 27 of its 48 points.

Howard Payne kept its lead intact before going on a 9-0 run, finished off by Johnson’s three, to grow the lead to 86-73 with 2:05 to go in the contest. The Crusaders narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Yellow Jackets still held on for the 90-88 win. Howard Payne shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting six shots from deep to score 18 of its 42 points.

Game Notes

» Trey Jackson notched a double-double for the Yellow Jackets with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
» The Yellow Jackets shot well from three point range, knocking down 15 of 32 long range attempts.
» Howard Payne never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Howard Payne tallied 16 total assists in the game.
» Every Howard Payne starter scored in double figures.
» Five Howard Payne players scored 10 or more points.
» The Howard Payne defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Howard Payne cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 12 offensive boards in the game.
» Hudson Johnson led the Yellow Jackets with 21 points.
» Howard Payne got a team-high 10 rebounds from Trey Jackson.