CLINTON, Miss – The Howard Payne men’s basketball team hung tough with #17 Mississippi College on the road but fell 70-78 in American Southwest Conference action Monday night. 

Both teams shot poorly in the first half with Howard Payne at 30% and MC not much better at 36%. MC held a 29-34 halftime advantage. 

Midway through the first, MC held a 15 points lead. Then the Jackets used a 14-2 run to cut the MC lead to 3, 24-27 with 4 minutes left in the first half. 

MC started the second with a 15-5 run. With the MC lead up to as much as 16 points, Howard Payne chipped away but come up short and fell 70-78. 

The Jackets were led by Keith Perry with a game high 20 points. Brandon Irwin had 15 followed by Daniel Bubel with 13. 

Donnie Haywood led MC with 14 followed closely by Andre Thomas with 13 points and 11 rebounds. 

The Yellow Jackets fall to 2-7 overall and 2-5 in ASC play while Mississippi College improves to 9-0, 6-0 in ASC action. 
Howard Payne will play a pair of games in Indiana after Christmas. Manchester College on December 30 and Anderson University on January 2. Both games will have an audio broadcast on the internet; check the HPU listen live link for start times.