Armonie Ramey scored 26 points and Hudson Johnson added 25, but the Howard Payne men’s basketball team fell to the Mary Hardin-Baylor Crusaders 98-93 at home Thursday.

The Yellow Jackets (8-11) had two players score in double figures, led by Ramey, who recorded a double-double with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Johnson added 25 points and three steals and Riley Fornerette added nine points, nine rebounds and six assists.

Howard Payne out-rebounded Mary Hardin-Baylor 45-40 in Thursday’s game, led by Ramey’s 12 boards. The Yellow Jackets also collected 16 offensive rebounds and scored 12 second chance points.

Howard Payne forced 15 Mary Hardin-Baylor turnovers. The Yellow Jackets turned those takeaways into 17 points on the offensive end of the floor. Johnson’s three steals led the way for Howard Payne.

How It Happened

After falling behind 3-0, Howard Payne went on a 13-0 run with 19:26 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Johnson, to take a 13-3 lead. The Yellow Jackets then surrendered that lead and entered halftime down 49-48.

Mary Hardin-Baylor kept widening its lead after intermission, constructing an 80-75 advantage before Howard Payne went on a 5-0 run, finished off by Mason McGowen’s layup, to even the score at 80 all with 4:20 to go in the contest. The Yellow Jackets could not turn their rally into a victory, as the Crusaders outscored them 18-13 the rest of the way to hand Howard Payne the 98-93 loss. Howard Payne took care of business in the paint, recording 24 of its 45 points in the lane.

Game Notes

» Armonie Ramey notched an impressive double-double for the Yellow Jackets with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
» The Yellow Jackets shot well from three point range, knocking down 12 of 29 long range attempts.
» Howard Payne recorded 15 total assists in the game.

» Howard Payne lost despite a 45-40 rebounding advantage.
» The Howard Payne defense forced 15 turnovers.

» Howard Payne cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 16 offensive boards in the game.
» Armonie Ramey had a game-high 26 points and Hudson Johnson added 25.
» Howard Payne got a game-high 12 rebounds from Armonie Ramey.

Howard Payne will face off against UT Dallas at home this Saturday, February 1st, at 3 PM.