Abram Choate, SID

ABILENE, Texas – The Howard Payne Yellow Jackets were outshot from behind the arc in a 69-62 loss to Hardin-Simmons at the Mabee Complex on Saturday.

Both teams battled back and forth in the first. Howard held as much as a 6 point lead in the first but Hardin-Simmons regained the lead 34-26 with great outside shooting, 4 minutes to play till halftime. The hot 3-point shooting continued for the HSU Cowboys building a 42-30 halftime lead.

The Yellow Jackets ate away at the HSU lead in the second cutting it to a 6 point HSU lead, 44-50, with 11:21 to play. HPU cut it 4, 66-62 HSU on a Brook Woods 3-pointer with 1:11 to play. That was as close as the Jackets would get with Hardin-Simmons securing the 69-62 win.

HPU was led by Gary Thompson with 14 points and 3 steals. Brook Woods had 13, Lee Scott 12, Bryan Blalock 11, and Tom Hermann had 10.

Hardin-Simmons was led by Rob Yeatts with a game high 19 points. Charlie Pannell had 17 and Mardochee Jean added 11 points with 15 rebounds.

Still in fourth in the ASC West the Jackets fall to 11-10 overall and 9-8 in ASC action. HSU improves to 12-9 overall.

Howard Payne will play next at home versus Mary Hardin-Baylor on Thursday at 7:30 pm.