TYLER, Texas -- UT Tyler produced one of the top-10 single-game scoring performances in program history while tying the program's single-game steals record to pick up its first victory of the season, a 106-67 non-conference win over Dallas Christian College Friday night at the Herrington Patriot Center.

Darius Alford led the way, coming up with a game-high 8 steals to finish just one steal away from the program's individual single-game record, and he also led all scorers with 16 points to lead a group of six Patriots who scored in double figures.

The Patriots' 106-point scoring output tied for seventh on the program's all-time single-game scoring list, and UT Tyler led by as many as 50 points with less than five minutes to play.

With the victory, UT Tyler improves to 1-2 with a return to Lone Star Conference play looming two weeks away. The game was considered an exhibition game for Dallas Christian, which has a 2-1 record on the year along with 10 exhibition games so far.

Quotable (UT Tyler head coach Louis Wilson): "It was good to put one in the left column, because our guys are working hard to play better. We have a long way to go, but it was certainly good to play so many guys so many minutes in this one. We are suffering from not having preseason games this year, so we have to work out our issues on the fly. After taking the next week off, we will hopefully get some injured players back as we head into the guts of our schedule in January. Hopefully, our excessive gift giving in the form of turnovers will abate after the holidays, because until it does, playing better will be difficult."

Turning Point: UT Tyler turned a 30-25 lead with under seven minutes left into a 25-point halftime margin with a 26-6 run over the final 6:39 of the opening half. Soloman Thomas scored back-to-back baskets to open the run, and the Patriots scored 14 straight to start the run.

How It Happened: UT Tyler never trailed in the game, but Dallas Christian spent the majority of the first half within striking distance until the final seven minutes of the opening half. The Patriots reeled off 14 straight points after Dallas Christian pulled within five, 30-25, with 7:46 remaining in the half. Over the final seven minutes, UT Tyler posted a 26-6 run to take a 56-31 halftime lead.

The Patriots kept the momentum going into the second half, allowing just one point from Dallas Christian in the first seven minutes after halftime. After that free throw, which cut the lead to 58-32, UT Tyler scored the next 20 consecutive points, including an eight-point scoring run from Soloman Thomas. Combined with the run to end the first half, the Patriots' scoring run across the last seven minutes of the first half and the first seven minutes of the second half was 48-7.

When the dust settled after UT Tyler's 20-0 run, the Patriots held a commanding 78-32 edge with 13 minutes remaining in the game. Later in the half, a Darius Alford putback sparked a 17-5 run to give UT Tyler its largest lead of the game, 99-49, with 4:45 to play.

UT Tyler Standouts: Darius Alford scored 16 points and came up with 8 steals, both game-highs, to lead the Patriots. His defensive performance ranked as the second-highest single-game steal total by any player in program history, just one off the program single-game record of 9. He was one of six UT Tyler players to score in double figures, as Soloman Thomas also came off the bench to produce 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. Micah Fuller added 13 points, and Jalen Davis and DJ Jones contributed 11 points each off the bench. Da'Zhon Wyche scored 10 points.

Dallas Christian Standouts: Dallas Christian had four double-figure scorers, with Tyjuan Battles scoring a team-high 14 points while leading all rebounders with 6. Tylir Hobson added 13 points, Jalen Perez scored 12, and Tyrone Auzenne scored 10 points before fouling out with just over two minutes to play.

By The Numbers: UT Tyler tied its single-game school record for steals (21), leading to a 47-24 scoring margin in points off turnovers… The Patriots' 106-point total was the seventh-highest single-game scoring total in program history… UT Tyler dominated the boards with a 45-19 rebounding margin, which led to a 23-6 margin in second chance points… The Patriots also registered a 31-7 edge in fast break scoring and the UT Tyler bench produced 71 of the team's 106 points… UT Tyler committed 22 turnovers while forcing 33 out of Dallas Christian… The Patriots shot 52 percent (32-for-62) overall, including a 30 percent (7-for-23) clip from three-point range… UT Tyler made 35-of-43 free throws (81 percent), coming one free throw away from the program single-game free throws record.

What's Next: UT Tyler returns to competition after the New Year, taking on Lubbock Christian for a pair of Lone Star Conference games at home on January 2 and 3.