Nov. 20, 2007

Box Score

A poor first half put the Southwestern University men's basketball team in a hole too big to climb out of as the Pirates lost to the Hardin-Simmons University Cowboys on Tuesday (Nov. 20) in Abilene, TX by a score of 85-59.

HSU jumped ahead with the first eight points of the game and never looked back. The Pirates pulled within four with 17:07 left in the period but quickly allowed the Cowboys to score eight-straight points for a 12-point lead. Hardin-Simmons lead remained in double-digits the rest of the way. SU trailed 49-25 at the half and in the second period was out-scored just 36-34.

Sophomore Ross Hayes (Houston, TX/Clements HS) led Southwestern in scoring with eight points and in rebounding with eight. Senior guard Miles Elsey (Wimberley, TX/Wimberley HS) dished out a team-high three assists. Ben Schleif (San Antonio, TX/Reagan HS) and Matt Caplan (Houston, TX/University of Kansas) both totaled seven points for the Pirates.

For the game, SU shot just 33.3 percent (17-51) compared to Hardin-Simmons' 47.8 percent (32-67). The Cowboys held a big advantage in rebounds, 48-31, as the Pirates allowed HSU to grab 16 offensive boards. Southwestern also turned the ball over 23 times.

Southwestern falls to 1-2 on the season while Hardin-Simmons moves to 1-0.

The Pirates do not play again until Friday (Nov. 30) when they host Colorado College in Georgetown, TX for their Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference opener at 8:00 pm.