The Howard Payne men's basketball team put together a spirited effort on the road Saturday afternoon at Hardin-Simmons, falling 101–86 in an American Southwest Conference matchup. Despite the final score, the Yellow Jackets saw several strong individual performances and competed throughout the contest.

Senior guard Armonie Ramey led the way offensively for Howard Payne, scoring a team-high 20 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Ramey was aggressive attacking the basket and provided a steady presence on both ends of the floor during his 28 minutes of action.

Trey Jackson also reached double figures with 10 points while adding three assists and a steal, continuing to show his ability to impact the game beyond the scoring column. Ben Phillip contributed eight points and helped battle inside, giving HPU valuable minutes in the frontcourt.

Howard Payne received additional scoring from Braylon Crosby and Avant Coleman, who finished with 16 and 15 points respectively. The Jackets showed confidence from beyond the arc, knocking down seven three-pointers and spacing the floor effectively for stretches of the game.

The HPU bench played an important role, combining for 40 points and providing energy throughout the afternoon. Defensively, the Jackets were able to create opportunities by forcing turnovers, converting those into 23 points on the offensive end.

While Hardin-Simmons was able to gain separation in the second half, Howard Payne continued to compete and showed flashes of the offensive balance and depth that the team can build on moving forward. The Jackets will look to carry the positives from this performance into their next conference matchup.