ABILENE – McMurry held the No. 5 team 27 points below their average and gave itself a chance to pull the upset before Hardin-Simmons thwarted a final drive for a 17-12 win on Saturday.
Averaging 44 points per game coming in, Hardin-Simmons scored first on a 10-play, 45-yard drive.
The War Hawks answered with a 13-play, 66-yard drive that erased 7:25 off the clock. A 17-yard pass from Jess Hoel to Kristopher Martin kept the drive alive on a third-and-seven. Hoel finished the drive with a three-yard run but McMurry missed the extra point and trailed 7-6 with 7:51 to go in the half…