KINGSVILLE, Texas -- UT Tyler nearly posted back-to-back wins over No. 10-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville, but the Patriots' 6-game winning streak was snapped by the Javelinas' 56-52 win Saturday.
UT Tyler used a 16-4 run midway through the second half to take a 9-point lead, 48-39, with 6:43 remaining in the game, but the Javelinas scored 14 straight over the next 4 minutes to take a 52-48 edge with 2:21 to play. The Patriots pulled within 2 points twice in the final 2:20, but Creighton Avery and Jordan Wilson each made a pair of free throws to restore the 4-point cushion and secure the win.
Darius Alford and Milan Szabo each scored 13 points to lead the Patriots, while Wilson and Avery combined for 28 points to lead Texas A&M-Kingsville.
With the defeat, UT Tyler dropped to 8-10 overall and 7-10 in Lone Star Conference play, while Texas A&M-Kingsville improved to 14-2.
Turning Point: Texas A&M-Kingsville answered UT Tyler's largest lead of the game, a 48-39 margin with 6:43 to play, with a 14-0 run. Jordan Wilson scored six straight during the run, including a pair of free throws that gave the Javelinas a 49-48 lead with 2:58 left. When Jake Majors added a three-pointer on the next possession, Texas A&M-Kingsville had a 4-point lead, 52-48, to protect down the stretch.
How It Happened: UT Tyler held a 27-26 halftime lead after the Patriots used an 11-0 run late in the half to erase an 8-point deficit and take a 25-22 lead with 1:49 left in the half. Chris Giles capitalized on a pair of Javelina turnovers with short jumpers in the paint, first tying the game at 22-22 and then giving the Patriots a 24-22 edge with 3:03 left.
Texas A&M-Kingsville regained the lead after halftime, although neither team led by more than 3 points until UT Tyler took the lead back with a 16-4 run, turning a 3-point deficit into a 48-39 lead with 6:43 to play. Seven different Patriots scored during the run, which Texas A&M-Kingsville answered with a 14-0 run over the next four minutes.
The Javelinas were a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line over the final three minutes to maintain the lead the rest of the way.
UT Tyler Standouts: Darius Alford and Milan Szabo scored 13 points each to lead the Patriots, while Chris Giles scored 8 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field. Da'Zhon Wyche was UT Tyler's leading rebounder with 6.
Texas A&M-Kingsville Standouts: Jordan Wilson scored 12 of his game-high 15 points in the second half, and he also grabbed a game-high 9 rebounds. Creighton Avery added 13 points, and Will Chayer registered 3 blocks.
By The Numbers: Both teams finished with an identical 17 turnovers, although Texas A&M-Kingsville generated an 18-11 margin in points off those turnovers… The Patriots' reserves more than doubled the Javelinas in bench scoring (25-12)… Texas A&M-Kingsville registered a 36-30 advantage in the rebounding margin, and the Javelinas turned their 10 offensive boards into 17 second-chance points… UT Tyler's 7 offensive rebounds led to 5 second chance points… Neither team shot well from three-point range, with TAMUK finishing 3-for-17 (18 percent) and UT Tyler hitting 2-of-11 (18 percent) from three… The Javelinas shot 44 percent (21-for-48) overall and the Patriots shot 41 percent (18-for-44).
What's Next: UT Tyler returns home to wrap up the season with back-to-back non-conference matchups against Western New Mexico (March 2-3).
