FORT SMITH, Ark. -- UT Tyler nearly came all the way back from a 20-point halftime deficit, pulling within 1 point in the final minute before Arkansas-Fort Smith held on down the stretch for a 59-54 win.

UAFS took a 36-16 halftime lead, and five minutes into the second half, the Lions held a 45-26 lead. Over the next seven minutes, the Patriots slashed the lead with a 19-4 run which slashed the lead down to 4 points, 49-45, with 7:57 to play. A Jared Jenkins three with just over two minutes to play pulled the Patriots within two, 54-52, and Micah Fuller drove for a layup with less than 30 seconds left to pull UT Tyler within a point, 55-54.

After UAFS answered with two free throws, the Patriots' attempt for a game-tying three resulted in a turnover, and the Lions made another pair of free throws with less than 10 seconds left to close out the 59-54 win.

With the loss, UT Tyler dropped to 8-18 overall and 5-16 in the Lone Star Conference, while UAFS improved to 12-15 overall and 8-13 in the LSC.

Turning Point: UAFS took its largest lead of the game by scoring the opening basket of the second half to take a 38-16 lead. The Patriots responded with eight consecutive points, starting with a Jared Jenkins three followed by five straight points from Ty Glover, and that represented the start of a 29-11 run which cut the Lions' lead to 51-47 with 5:31 remaining in the game. Chris Giles scored 12 points during the run, which positioned the Patriots for their final push to cut the gap to a single point in the final minute.

How It Happened: Ty Glover scored UT Tyler's first five points, and Micah Fuller added a pair of free throws with 17:20 left in the first half to give the Patriots a 7-3 lead. UAFS scored 35 of the next 44 points, finishing the half on a 33-9 run before scoring the first bucket of the second half to take a 38-16 lead.

Jared Jenkins sparked a quick 8-0 run with a three-pointer, slashing the lead from 22 to 14 (38-24) before UAFS extended the lead to 45-26 with 14:53 left. Chris Giles answered with a three-pointer, sparking a 19-4 run over a seven-minute stretch to close the gap to 49-45. Giles scored 8 of the Patriots' 19 points during the run, and Jenkins hit another three-pointer with 2:07 left to make it a two-point game, 54-52.

Both teams missed three-pointers during the next minute before Brian Halums got to the line with less than a minute to go. He made 1-of-2 free throws, extending the lead to 55-52, before Micah Fuller's layup cut the lead to 55-54 with 27 seconds left. The Patriots fouled Matthew Wilson, who sank a pair of free throws to make it a three-point cushion, and a potential game-tying three-point attempt with less than 10 seconds left was thwarted by a turnover. Wilson made another pair of free throws to provide the final five-point margin of victory.

UT Tyler Standouts: Chris Giles and Jared Jenkins led UT Tyler in scoring with 14 points each, and Jenkins grabbed a team-high 7 rebounds. Ty Glover finished with 12 points, and Micah Fuller scored 6 points while dishing out a team-high 5 assists.

UAFS Standouts: Brian Halums led all scorers with 18 points, and Matthew Wilson joined him in double figures with 14 points. Charles Botchway added 8 points plus team-highs of 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

By The Numbers: UT Tyler forced 10 turnovers and committed 9, and the Patriots capitalized with a 15-8 margin in points off turnovers… UAFS posted a 35-26 edge on the boards, holding UT Tyler to just two offensive rebounds all game… The Lions produced advantages in second chance points (9-2) and fast break scoring (10-2)… UAFS shot 50 percent (13-for-26) from the field in the first half but finished the game at 42 percent (21-for-50) overall and 32 percent (7-for-22) from three-point range… UT Tyler shot 58 percent (14-for-24) in the second half, finishing the game at 40 percent (20-for-50) overall and 37 percent (9-for-24) on three-pointers.

What's Next: UT Tyler's final game of the 2019-20 season is on Saturday, Feb. 29, when the Patriots visit Oklahoma Christian.