TYLER, Texas -- Angelo State came out firing with 11 first-half three-pointers at UT Tyler Thursday night, and the Rams needed every bit of its early lead to hang on to win an 88-82 decision over the Patriots.

Jared Jenkins scored a career-high 18 points to lead a balanced effort for UT Tyler, which had four players in double figures plus a 9-point, 10-rebound effort from center Bryson Power. However, Angelo State had a trio of 20-point performers who combined for all but one of the Rams' 13 three-pointers as a team.

With the loss, UT Tyler dropped to 6-13 overall and 3-11 in the Lone Star Conference, while Angelo State improved to 13-4 overall and 9-4 in conference play.

Turning Point: Angelo State answered a 10-2 UT Tyler run midway through the first half with an 18-2 run of its own, turning a one-point game into a commanding 17-point edge with 3:59 left in the opening half. The Patriots' 10-2 run included three-pointers from Bradley Mason and Xavier Fogle, and Jared Jenkins capped it with a two-point jumper in the paint that trimmed the Rams' lead to 21-20 with 8:27 left in the opening half. Collin Turner answered the run with one of his four first-half threes, sparking Angelo State to an 18-2 run in the other direction to give the Rams a 39-22 lead with 3:59 remaining in the half.

How It Happened: Angelo State scored 12 of its first 14 points on three-pointers, and the Rams hit 11 first-half threes to take a 46-35 halftime lead. Collin Turner and Camron Reedus each hit four first-half treys, as they combined with Jeremy Hayes for 39 of the Ram's 47 first-half points.

A Micah Fuller three-pointer early in the second half got the margin back into single digits, cutting Angelo State's lead to 48-40, but the Rams used an 11-4 run to extend the lead to 59-44 with 14:44 left. The Rams maintained a lead of at least 9 points and as wide as 16 points until the final three minutes, when Jared Jenkins drilled a three-pointer to spark a 10-0 run that trimmed the deficit to 6 points, 85-79, in the final minute of the game.

UT Tyler Standouts: Jared Jenkins scored a career-high 18 points, finishing in double figures for the second time this season while surpassing his previous career-best of 12 points. Micah Fuller added 17 points and a game-high 8 assists, while Ty Glover turned in a 14-point performance in limited minutes due to foul trouble. Darius Alford scored 13 points, and Bryson Power tallied 9 points with 10 rebounds to help lead the Patriots.

Angelo State Standouts: Collin Turner led all scorers with 22 points, and he was supported by 21 points each from Jeremy Hayes and Camron Reedus. The trio generated 64 points of offense on the strength of 12 combined three-pointers. Andres Ibarguen added 11 points and 11 rebounds.

By The Numbers: Angelo State posted a 41-37 edge in rebounds… However, the teams were even in second chance points (16-16), and UT Tyler registered a 44-24 edge in points in the paint… After hitting 11-of-22 three-pointers in the first half, Angelo State cooled off and went just 2-for-9 from long range in the second half… The Rams finished the game at 42 percent (13-for-31) on three-pointers and 43 percent (29-for-67) overall… UT Tyler shot 47 percent (31-for-66) overall while also going 47 percent (7-for-15) from three-point range… The Patriots also knocked down 13-of-16 free throws (81 percent)… UT Tyler held a 15-14 edge in points off turnovers and scored plentifully in transition with a 27-5 margin in fast break scoring.

What's Next: UT Tyler is back home on Saturday, Feb. 1, hosting Lubbock Christian at 4 p.m.