SILVER CITY, N.M. -- Western New Mexico's explosive second-half performance erased UT Tyler's four-point halftime lead as the Mustangs rallied for a 77-60 win over the Patriots Saturday afternoon.
Darius Alford led the way for UT Tyler, scoring a season-high 24 points off the bench, but he was the only Patriot in double figures. Western New Mexico rallied from a 31-27 halftime deficit by shooting a blistering 68 percent (19-for-28) from the field in the second half. Four WNMU players scored in double figures, with three of them registering double figures in the second half alone.
With the loss, UT Tyler dropped to 6-12 overall and 3-10 in the Lone Star Conference, while Western New Mexico improved to 4-15 overall and 3-8 in conference play.
Turning Point: After UT Tyler emerged from a first half which featured five ties and six lead changes with a 31-27 lead, the Patriots extended their lead on the opening second-half possession to six, 33-27, after a pair of Ty Gover free throws. However, Western New Mexico caught fire from there, knocking down eight consecutive shots plus a pair of free throws during a 21-1 run over a span of five minutes to give the Mustangs a 48-34 lead with 14:25 remaining in the game. Western New Mexico led by at least seven points the rest of the game.
How It Happened: UT Tyler coaxed WNMU into 10 first-half turnovers, leading to a 12-6 edge in points off turnovers in the opening half as the Patriots built a 31-27 halftime lead. Darius Alford scored 13 of his game-high 24 points in the opening half, and Micah Fuller added 6 points and 5 rebounds in his first half of action after he exploded for 36 points Thursday night at UT Permian Basin. Alford hit back-to-back three-pointers within the final two minutes of the half, and Bryson Power's putback with 19 seconds left capped an 8-0 run to finish the half and give the Patriots the four-point edge.
A pair of Ty Glover free throws extended the run to 10-0 and gave UT Tyler a 33-27 lead, but Western New Mexico seized the lead with a 21-1 run before Alford sparked a 7-0 run to answer. Alford hit a two-point jumper followed by another three, and Bradley Mason turned another WNMU turnover into points with a fast-break layup that trimmed the margin to 48-41 with 12:26 left in the game. The Mustangs responded with a 14-2 run, pushing the lead to 62-43 with 6:37 left, and they maintained a lead of at least 16 points the rest of the way.
UT Tyler Standouts: Darius Alford came off the bench to score a game-high 24 points, scoring double figures in both halves with 13 in the opening half and 11 more after halftime. He also dished out a team-high 3 assists. Bryson Power and Ansu Sesay added 8 points each, and Sesay tied for the team lead in rebounds with Micah Fuller with 5 rebounds apiece. Sesay and Alford led the defense with 3 steals each, helping cause 17 Western New Mexico turnovers.
Western New Mexico Standouts: Four Mustangs finished in double figures, with Elijah Holifield leading the way with 18 points along with a team-high 6 rebounds. CJ Vanbeekum added 15 points, while Malik Sanders tallied 13 points with a game-high 5 assists and Eddie Giron scored 10.
By The Numbers: Western New Mexico finished the game shooting 54 percent (30-for-56) overall, finishing the game 19-for-28 (68 percent) from the field after halftime… UT Tyler shot 40 percent (21-for-53) overall and 39 percent (7-for-18) on three-pointers… WNMU posted a 33-23 advantage on the boards, although UT Tyler recorded a 10-6 edge in second chance points… Darius Alford's 24-point performance bested his previous season-high (14) by a 10-point margin, and it was the sixth-best single-game scoring performance of his career… It was the first 20-point game this season and 13th of his career for Alford.
What's Next: The Patriots return home for a pair of Lone Star Conference matchups next week against Angelo State (Jan. 30) and Lubbock Christian (Feb. 1).
