TYLER, Texas -- For the second consecutive game, UT Tyler cruised to a big halftime lead at home, building up 25 points of separation in the first half of an eventual 27-point victory as the Patriots posted an 87-60 win over Ecclesia College Friday afternoon.

The next test for the Patriots is the Lone Star Conference opener next week, when NCAA Division II's No. 20-ranked St. Edward's visits the Herrington Patriot Center. It will be the first Lone Star Conference contest for both programs, as St. Edward's claimed last year's Heartland Conference championship before changing its conference membership to the LSC.

Micah Fuller scored 12 points while Darius Alford added 11 points, and they were the only Patriots in double figures although eight others scored at least 5 in a balanced offensive effort. UT Tyler shot better than 50 percent as a team for the second consecutive game, making 36-of-70 (.514) from the field.

With the victory, UT Tyler improved to 2-2 on the year.

Turning Point: The Patriots never trailed, scoring the first five points while starting the game on a 16-2 run over the first six minutes of play. A JT Riddick layup with 11:30 remaining in the first half pushed the margin to 20 points, 28-8, and Darius Alford scored 6 points in the final 2:30 of the half as UT Tyler closed out the half with a 10-2 run to take a 45-20 advantage into halftime.

How It Happened: UT Tyler forced 14 first-half turnovers and converted those into 22 points off turnovers, nearly half its first-half scoring total. Ecclesia shot just 30 percent (7-for-23) in the first half, missing all four of its three-point attempts, as the Patriots raced out to the large early lead.

A Quinn Smith bucket midway through the second half expanded the lead to 40 points, 77-37, and the Patriots still held a 38-point lead with four minutes left in the contest. Ecclesia finished the game on a 14-3 run, thanks in part to eight consecutive points from Zachary McGee in a three-possession swing, to close the gap to the final margin of 87-60. McGee was 6-for-8 from three-point range in the second half, scoring 22 of his game-high 25 points after halftime.

UT Tyler Standouts: Micah Fuller scored a team-high 12 points in less than 18 minutes of action, as 13 different Patriots played at least 10 minutes in the contest. Darius Alford was the only other UT Tyler player in double figures, finishing with 11 while Jared Jenkins and Bradley Mason added 9 points each. JT Riddick finished with a game-high 9 rebounds and 2 blocked shots while scoring 8. Da'Zhon Wyche dished out a game-high 6 assists.

Ecclesia Standouts: Zachary McGee scored a game-high 25 points, including 22 after halftime. He was also the Royals' rebounding leader with 5. Drew Cone and Nicholas Coble added 10 points each.

By The Numbers: UT Tyler won the rebounding battle with a commanding 40-26 advantage on the boards… That rebounding edge led to a 17-4 margin in second chance points… The Patriots produced positive margins in scoring off turnovers (32-11), points in the paint (46-22), and fast break scoring (21-6) … The largest uninterrupted scoring run of the game was an 11-0 UT Tyler outburst with baskets from five different players during the 2-minute, 10-second run which finished with an Ansu Sesay bucket for a 16-2 lead with 14:14 remaining in the first half.

What's Next: UT Tyler opens up Lone Star Conference play with a pair of home games next week, taking on No. 20-ranked St. Edward's on Thursday, Nov. 21, and St. Mary's on Saturday, Nov. 23.