Dec. 7, 2005

ABILENE, Texas - The Tip Hardin-Simmons comes into its game with Southern Methodist riding a three-game winning streak...The Cowboys are holdings its opponents to 64 points per game and teams are shooting just 38 percent for the year...The Cowboys have been in a season-long shooting slump from the perimeter and its 3-point percentage has dipped to 29 percent. However, the Cowboys have compensated with an ability to get to the free throw line. The team is converting 66 percent at the stripe and take away the two big men on the team and HSU is shooting 76 percent at the line...HSU has done good job of sharing the basketball as 81 of the 127 baskets on the year have been assisted...HSU was picked fourth in the ASC West Division, but were only eight voting points out of first in what is expected to be a fight to the end.

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About Hardin-Simmons The Cowboys have done a good job of sharing the scoring load in the early going as five different players have had double-digit scoring efforts...Mardochee Jean has been the glass cleaner for HSU. He has 18 and 17 rebounds in his last two games...HSU blocked a school-record 15 shots in the win over LeTourneau on Saturday...Junior forward Zach Pickelman leads the team with 13.5 points per game, but is shooting just 37 percent from the field. He has shot 86 percent from the free throw line and is averaging 4.7 free throws per game.

About Southern Methodist Jimmy Tubbs' Mustangs are 3-3 on the season, but have played the first semester without All-WAC guard Bryan Hopkins...Derrick Roberts is leading the team with a 14.5 PPG average...The Mustangs are in their first season playing in Conference USA...SMU lost its last outing to Oklahoma State 64-54 in Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Last Time Out The Cowboys won its third straight game with a defensive battle that turned into a 54-40 HSU win. Zach Pickelman scored 20 points and Mardochee Jean had 13 points, 17 rebounds and a school and American Southwest Conference record nine blocks.

Next Up HSU will face crosstown and American Southwest Conference rival McMurry in the first of two games this season. The Indians are averaging 97 points per game and are 4-0 in ASC play. The game will be for first-place in the ASC.

Versus Division I Teams The Cowboys are 0-19 in Division I games since dropping from DI in 1990. The Cowboys have had two chances to win in those games. The 1997 team lost the season-opener at UTEP, 81-76. In 2001, the Cowboys trailed North Texas 74-71 when Brad Waters' 3-pointer went half-way down and came out at the 1:38 mark of the game. UNT pulled away to win 79-72. HSU lost its only other DI game this 85-48 at North Texas in the season opener for both teams.

The Series The Mustangs hold a 12-4 all-time series advantage against the Cowboys. SMU has won all four meetings since HSU dropped from Division I in 1990. All four games have been decided by margins of 29 points or more. SMU won the last meeting 110-69 in the 2000 season. The last win for HSU in the series came in 1953 a 56-55 win in Dallas.

Block Party The Cowboys are on pace to set the season-record for blocks. Mardochee Jean is the ringleader with 27 blocks in six games. He already has nine and eight-block games this season. The eight tied the school record and he broke it in the last game with LeTourneau. HSU blocked a school-record 15 shots against LeTourneau.

The American Southwest Conference Hardin-Simmons plays in the non-scholarship Division III American Southwest Conference, based in Richardson. The league has 16 teams in Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. HSU plays in the West Division with Concordia (Austin), Howard Payne, Mary Hardin-Baylor, McMurry, Schreiner, Sul Ross State, Texas Lutheran. The Cowboys were tri-champions of the ASC West last season, the first ASC title in men's basketball in school history.

About Hardin-Simmons Hardin-Simmons is located in Abilene, Texas and has a record 2,428 students this fall. HSU has an affiliation with the Southern Baptist Convention and gives out degrees in over 50 fields. Its most prominent degrees include Business, Pre-Med, Theology, Physical Therapy and Education. The PT school is the only school in Texas to offer a doctorate in physical therapy. HSU played Division I athletics until 1990, when it went to the NAIA and eventually to NCAA Division III in 1997.