CLINTON, MS - The 5th-ranked Mississippi College Choctaws advanced to their ninth straight American Southwest Conference Championship Game by holding off McMurry 66-56 in A. E. Wood Coliseum Saturday.
The Choctaws, the #1 ranked South Region team all season, dominated the first half scoring the game's first nine points and built a 26-9 lead with 6:48 remaining before halftime. Three free throws by Torrey Crumedy to end the first half gave the Choctaws a 35-18 lead heading into intermission.
McMurry made of game of it in the second half and trailed by just six points with 3:43 remaining and the score 57-51. MC regrouped down the stretch hitting all seven free throw attempts in the final minute.
The Choctaws were able to pull out the win despite hitting just four second half field goals against the McMurry defense. The game was slow with 47 fouls called and 65 total trips to the charity stripe. MC hit 32-48 of their free throw attempts while McMurry was good on 19-27.
Senior forward Ryan Hudson provided much of the offense for the Choctaws with 15 points and nine rebounds. D. J. Jones scored 14 points hitting 11-12 free throw attempts. Marcus Evans and Timothy Broomfield scored 12 and 11 points, respectively.
McMurry had just one player in double figures with Kenny Gardner scoring ten points. Alvin Stevens added nine points but was just 3-15 from the field. Terrance Willis finished with eight points and a team high seven rebounds.
The Choctaws will face Hardin-Simmons University tomorrow at 2:00 pm. The Cowboys upset #25 Mary Hardin-Baylor in the earlier semifinal 71-67. The Choctaws will be going for their sixth ASC Championship in the last nine years.
