TYLER, Texas -- UT Tyler secured a winning record with an 80-42 victory over Southwestern Adventist, and Micah Fuller surpassed 1,000 career points in Saturday's season-ending win.

Fuller scored 12 points to lead a balanced offensive performance for the Patriots, extending his career scoring total to 1,002 points (451 points in 2 years at Montevallo before scoring 551 points the past 2 seasons with UT Tyler).

With the win, UT Tyler secured a winning record in just the second season for head coach Louis Wilson, and it's the Patriots' first winning campaign since the 2017-18 season and the ninth winning season in 18 years of men's basketball history at the school.

The Patriots wrapped up the season with a 12-10 overall record and finished 7-10 in Lone Star Conference play.

Turning Point: UT Tyler never trailed, and Micah Fuller's putback on the opening possession of the game set off a 15-0 run to start the contest. Fuller's basket was followed by back-to-back Emanuel Gant three-pointers, and Fuller knocked down a three just over 5 minutes into the game to finish off the 15-0 run.

How It Happened: UT Tyler's game-opening 15-0 run pushed the lead into double digits within the first 5 minutes, and the Patriots built a huge 31-point halftime lead, 45-14. Fuller scored 8 points in the first half, and he scored again on the opening possession of the second half to reach 1,000 career points exactly. He added an extra bucket on a 2-point jumper with 11:15 to play.

The Patriots led by as many as 43 points in the second half, maintaining a lead of at least 30 points for the final 17 minutes of the contest.

UT Tyler Standouts: Micah Fuller scored 12 points, and Darius Alford matched his scoring effort with a game-high 12 points. Emanuel Gant added 11 points, all in the first half, as 11 different Patriots scored with 7 players scoring at least 7 points. Jalen Davis grabbed a game-high 8 rebounds, leading UT Tyler to a commanding 32-17 rebounding margin, and Gant and DJ Jones each distributed a game-high 4 assists.

Southwestern Adventist Standouts: The Knights had a pair of double-digit scorers, with Ephraim Viadex notching team-highs of 11 points, 4 assists, and 3 steals, while Sitivi Fehoko added 10 points.

By The Numbers: UT Tyler shot 57 percent (33-for-58) overall, including a 46 percent (11-for-24) clip from three-point range… The Patriots made 7-of-13 (54 percent) three-pointers in the opening half… Southwestern Adventist shot 37 percent (16-for-43) overall and 31 percent (4-for-13) on three-pointers… UT Tyler produced a 45-2 margin in bench scoring, and the Patriots turned a 32-17 rebounding margin into a 10-2 edge in second chance points… UT Tyler forced 22 turnovers and committed 15, but the Patriots converted the giveaways into a 28-5 margin in points off turnovers.

What's Next: UT Tyler heads into the offseason in preparation for the program's first season as an active Division II program, pending NCAA approval of the Patriots' transition into Division II. As an active Division II program, UT Tyler will be eligible for Lone Star Conference and NCAA Division II postseason play in the 2021-22 season.