TYLER, Texas - The UT Tyler Men's Basketball team hosted Hardin Simmons in a matchup on Friday night at the Louise Herrington Patriot Center. The Patriots fell 69-80, moving to 3-4 overall. 

Brad Mason, Chris Craig, Xavier Fogle, and Darius Alford all recorded double digit points in the loss. 

The Patriots opened the game on a 7-2 run that spanned just over two minutes of play. UT Tyler and HSU would trade buckets throughout much of the first half as the lead never reached double digits. Late in the first half, HSU would open a 32-22 lead, their largest of the half. UT Tyler would respond, bringing the game within four points with :21 remaining. A late Cowboy bucket gave HSU the 40-34 halftime lead. 

HSU would hold their lead through the first 8:51 of play in the second half before the Patriots tied the game at 55. Darius Alford put UT Tyler ahead wiith 10:02 remaining on a jumper. HSU would take back their lead and hold it through the final nine minutes of play, taking the win as the final buzzer sounded. 

Mason finished the night with 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Craig would end the night with 12 points and four boards. Fogle grabbed three rebounds while scoring 11 points for the Patriots. Alford finished the night with 10 points and a rebound. 

UT Tyler sunk eight shots from behind the arc and went 3-6 from the line. UT Tyler would score 40 points in the paint while scoring 19 points off of turnovers. The Patriot bench scored 20 points. Friday's game was tied on four separate occasions with the lead changing five times. 

The Patriots play a pair of road games before returning to Tyler to host Southwestern on December 18. The Patriots host the Pirates at 3:00 p.m.