LAREDO, Texas -- UT Tyler men's basketball head coach Louis Wilson claimed his 100th career coaching victory after the Patriots posted a 64-53 road win at Texas A&M International Saturday.
Micah Fuller scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed a team-high 6 rebounds to lead UT Tyler, which dominated the boards with a 29-17 rebounding margin. Ty Glover added 14 points, and Darius Alford provided 10 points off the bench for the Patriots, who claimed their second Lone Star Conference victory of the season.
"When you get to 100 wins as a coach, you realize the milestone is less about yourself and more about the fact that you're able to coach good players and work with good assistant coaches," said Wilson, whose career coaching record now stands at 100-55 (.645) in six seasons.
"This is the first time in my six years as a head coach that we've gone through a tough process like this, and it makes you value all of it. The 100 wins is a testament to the five previous teams I coached along with the current team that's going through a lot of adversity. I'm proud of them for not lowering their expectations and remaining competitive in every situation. I'm proud to say that these guys would rather be successful than use excuses."
With the victory, UT Tyler improved to 5-9 overall and 2-7 in the Lone Star Conference, while Texas A&M International dropped to 2-13 overall and 0-9 in conference play.
Turning Point: UT Tyler reeled off a 9-0 run over a pivotal two-minute stretch late in the second half, extending a 5-point lead (51-46) with 6:29 remaining in the game into a 14-point margin (60-46) with 4:20 to play. After Darius Alford got the run started with a basket in the paint, Ty Glover registered a steal and dunk on a fast break. Micah Fuller added a pair of free throws on the next possession, and Fuller converted a three-point play to close out the 9-point burst. The Patriots maintained a lead of at least 9 points the rest of the game.
How It Happened: Ty Glover and Micah Fuller each hit early three-pointers to spark UT Tyler to an early 10-2 lead, but Texas A&M International steadily closed the gap until Jacob Pfaffinger hit a three-pointer midway through the opening half to give TAMIU its first lead of the game at 15-14. The lead changed hands another seven times throughout the half, with Fuller delivering the final 4 points of the half to give the Patriots a 29-26 halftime lead.
Texas A&M International got within a point four times in the first six minutes of the second half, but Fuller knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to give the Patriots a 7-point cushion, 45-38, with 11:55 left in the game. From that point on, the Dustdevils never got closer than 5 points, as UT Tyler went on its 9-0 run after Calvin Fugett Jr. scored on a short jumper with 6:29 left to cut the lead to 51-46. The Patriots used the 9-0 run to extend the lead to a 14-point spread, 60-46, with 4:20 to play, and the Dustdevils were held without a field goal in the final three minutes to seal the victory.
UT Tyler Standouts: Micah Fuller scored his career-high 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 on three-pointers while hitting 6-of-8 free throws. Fuller scored 14 of his 21 in the second half, and Darius Alford scored 8 of his 10 points after halftime, as well. Ty Glover finished with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting, as UT Tyler posted a 53 percent (21-for-40) team shooting effort from the field. Fuller shared the team rebounding lead with Jared Jenkins and Bryson Power, as the trio grabbed 6 boards each to lead the Patriots to a 29-17 rebounding margin.
Texas A&M International Standouts: Caleb Highley led the way for the Dustdevils with team-highs of 13 points and 6 rebounds, and Matija Novkovic added 11 points. Calvin Fugett Jr. came off the bench to score 9 points.
By The Numbers: UT Tyler's .525 field goal percentage was its highest in a Lone Star Conference game this season… The Patriots also shot .455 (5-for-11) from three-point range and .739 (17-for-23) from the free throw line… The 29-17 rebounding margin snapped a streak of 6 consecutive games which UT Tyler was outrebounded by its opponent… Texas A&M International shot 43 percent (20-for-47) overall, but the Dustdevils were just 23 percent (5-for-22) from three-point range and 57 percent (8-for-14) at the line… Texas A&M International committed 13 turnovers to UT Tyler's 17, but the Patriots registered a 20-15 edge in points off turnovers… UT Tyler also produced a 20-13 edge in bench scoring… The Patriots led for over 33 minutes of the game and trailed for less than 2 minutes… Micah Fuller's previous season-high was a 14-point effort against Dixie State in the second game of the season.
What's Next: UT Tyler returns home to continue Lone Star Conference play with home games against Oklahoma Christian (Jan. 16) and Arkansas-Fort Smith (Jan. 18).
Quotable (UT Tyler head coach Louis Wilson): "It's hard at any level and league to win on the road, but they continued to work together and believe in each other. It wasn't pretty, but we're not accepting excuses or lowering our standards. We're preparing every week, and based on that we're hoping to bear fruit from our labor. These are high-character competitors; they're staying in the fight, and I'm very proud of them for that."
"We controlled the boards, and we always say that those numbers will signify our effort. Rebounding isn't about size, it's about positioning and desire. It's about finding a way to a rebound or a loose ball, and that was our deal. We've talked about the fierce urgency of now and seizing your moment, and our thought of the day yesterday was 'by any means necessary.' If there's something you want within the scope of the game, there are no excuses. You have to find a way, and if there's no way, you have to make a way. You have to hold that standard, don't let down, and just play, and that's the mentality we're carrying forward. This team is full of very good people. They're hard workers, they're extremely competitive, and they're giving everything they can."
