TYLER, Texas -- UT Tyler built a big early lead in the first half of Saturday's Lone Star Conference divisional matchup against Texas A&M-Commerce, but the Lions caught fire in the second half to pull away for an 80-69 win over the Patriots.

A&M-Commerce shot 56 percent (20-for-36) from the field after halftime after shooting just 35 percent (12-for-34) in the opening 20 minutes. The Patriots led for 14 minutes in the opening half, including a pair of leads as large as 11 points before A&M-Commerce finished the half with a 9-2 run to take a 34-32 halftime edge over UT Tyler.

Darius Alford came off the bench to lead the Patriots in scoring with a 14-point effort, and A&M-Commerce was led by 25 points from Wayne Stewart and a 21-point performance from Deonta Terrell.

With the defeat, UT Tyler fell to 3-5 overall and 0-3 in the Lone Star Conference. The Patriots are now 0-1 within the six-team division, while A&M-Commerce improved to 5-3 overall, 2-1 in the LSC, and 1-0 in the division.

Turning Point: Darius Alford knocked down a pair of free throws with 13:22 remaining in the game to pull UT Tyler within three, 48-45, but A&M-Commerce exploded for a 21-3 run over a five-minute stretch to take a commanding 69-48 lead with 8:15 to play. The Patriots' only points in the run came on an Alford three-point play, and they never got closer than the final 11-point margin the rest of the way.

How It Happened: Heading into the final two minutes of the opening half, UT Tyler held a 32-28 edge, but Wayne Barrett's three-pointer at the two-minute mark slashed the lead to 32-31 and sparked a 6-0 run over the final two minutes to deliver a 34-32 halftime edge to A&M-Commerce. The Lions followed the halftime break with a 9-2 run, a 15-2 run combined between both halves, to take a 43-34 lead with 16:51 remaining in the game.

Quinn Smith scored 12 points in the first half, and UT Tyler's perimeter defense held A&M-Commerce to 25 percent (5-for-20) shooting from the three-point line in the opening half. Smith and Ty Glover combined for the first 9 points of a 14-0 burst early in the game, turning a 10-7 deficit into a 21-10 lead with 10:38 to play in the half. A Bryson Power jumper in the paint gave the Patriots a 25-15 lead, which A&M-Commerce erased with 10 consecutive points in just over a minute of action. Smith answered with a three-pointer in the corner in front of the Lions' bench, and Chris Giles scored the next two Patriot baskets to make it 32-28 heading into the final two minutes of the half.

Once A&M-Commerce pulled ahead with its 21-3 run, Alford hit a three-pointer to spark an 8-0 run which slashed the lead to 13, 69-56, but the lead bounced between a 14-to-18 point spread until the final minute, when Bradley Mason finished off the scoring with a three-pointer that cut the margin to the final 80-69 margin.

UT Tyler Standouts: Darius Alford scored a season-high 14 points to lead the Patriots in scoring, his third time in double figures this season. Quinn Smith matched his season-high with 12 points, hitting all five of his shot attempts including a pair of three-pointers, and he also grabbed a team-high 6 rebounds. Bradley finished with 11 points, while Micah Fuller scored 9 points and Bryson Power added 8 points.

Texas A&M-Commerce Standouts: The Lions had four players in double figures, with Wayne Stewart (25 points) and Deonta Terrell (21 points) combining to shoot 20-for-28 from the floor with eight rebounds each. Deon Barrett added 16 points along with 5 assists, and Darnell Wright was a rebound away from a double-double, finishing with 10 points and a game-high 9 rebounds.

By The Numbers: A&M-Commerce posted a 45-41 rebounding edge and generated a slight 40-36 edge in points in the paint… UT Tyler registered an 11-5 margin in fast break scoring and an 11-10 edge in second chance points.

What's Next: UT Tyler heads out on its first Lone Star Conference road trip next week, visiting Tarleton State on Thursday, Dec. 19, and Dallas Baptist on Saturday, Dec. 21. The Patriots will return home after the New Year, hosting divisional foes Midwestern State (Jan. 2) and Cameron (Jan. 4).