Redlands Men's Basketball concedes second half comeback in loss to Mary Hardin-Baylor

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LAS VEGAS – The University of Redlands men's basketball team (8-2) saw their winning streak end after allowing University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (UMHB) to score 62 second half points in a 104-97 loss to conclude the D3hoops.com Classic and the 2025 portion of their schedule.

It was a three-point barrage from both sides as they traded five total threes with Jake Hlywiak making two and Chozen Amadi knocking down one for the Bulldogs.

Following a Crusader jumper Cam Brown got to the line and made two free throws to begin a quick 7-0 run to give the Bulldogs the largest lead of the game to that point at eight, 20-12, with 13:49 on the clock.

After a Crusader response three, Hlywiak and Lucas Gordon made back-to-back threes with Nathan Mattera adding an assist for Redlands' first double-digit lead, 26-15, of the game.

UMHB pulled all the way to within one, 28-27, a few minutes later but once again Redlands had a quick response. In less than 90 seconds they got three more points from Hlywiak and two from Gordon, Donovan Ware, and Brown during a 9-0 run that reestablished their double figure advantage.

The back-and-forth continued with the lead growing to as many as 11 before the Crusaders cut it to five with 2:40 on the clock. The Bulldogs then ended the half on a 10-3 run, leading by their largest margin of 12, 54-42.

Of the back of a solid defensive first half, Redlands looked to keep the momentum going, but much like the first few minutes of the first half the Crusaders came out firing, but this time the Bulldogs did not match their scoring, allowing a 7-0 run to begin the half.

A Jhace Boston layup helped stem the tide and make it a seven-point lead. The lead was never any larger than seven, but they were able to maintain it until UMHB made a three with 11:12 remaining tied the game at 70.

Despite the early threes allowed in the first half, the Bulldogs never trailed until a free throw gave the Crusaders the one-point lead, 71-70.

Brown and Gordon each made a free throw to reclaim the lead with 10:14 to go before a 10-2 UMHB run made it a two-possession deficit, 81-75, with 7:51 still to play.

That 10-2 run extended another nearly three minutes and reached 21-9 which put Redlands behind by double-digits, 92-82, inside of five to go.

Hlywiak and Derek Sangster combined for five quick points across the next 50 seconds which made it a five-point game. The back-and-forth turned the deficit into 10 at the 2:49 mark before Hlywiak and Brown converted from deep to draw within four, 99-94, at the 1:16 mark.

UMHB, though, scored five of the final seven points in route to a second half comeback that saw them shoot 50 percent from the field, make nine threes, and 13 free throws which made them plus 19 in the half.

Hlywiak had 25 points thanks to five threes and eight made free throws. Gordon had 11 points, 14 rebounds, and two assists. Brown, Amadi, and Sangster were the other three Bulldogs in double figures with 15, 14, and 13 respectively. Omari Ferguson had nine points in 21 minutes before fouling out.

Redlands is now done with non-conference and turns to the first of 15 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) games in 2026. They start with Pomona-Pitzer at home this Saturday, January 3 at 7 p.m.