TYLER, TEXAS – The University of Texas at Tyler men's basketball team put together a complete effort in a convincing 76-56 win over Midwestern State to complete their opening week of Lone Star Conference play with a pair of wins.
 
The Patriots led by as many as 26 and maintained a double-digit lead for over 22 minutes of game action to stay unbeaten with a 5-0 record in 2022-23. Senior Rashun Williams went for 20 points to record his third straight effort with 20-plus points inside the Herrington Patriot Center and nearly reached double-double figures with a team-high nine rebounds.
 
The rest of the Patriot offense complimented Williams with efficient scoring as guards Terrell Wilson and Barnell Davis each notched 11 points on a night in which UT Tyler went 41-for-68 (45.6 percent) from the floor. UT Tyler allowed just a pair of three-point makes to a Midwestern State team that was selected fourth in the 2022 Lone Star Conference Men's Basketball Preseason Poll, and collected 14 offensive rebounds to limit the Mustang possessions throughout the night.
 
The Patriots closed out the first half with a 24-to-6 run, connecting on 10 out of their last 15 shot attempts from the half to open up a game that was tied at 17-17 with eight minutes remaining in the opening frame. That eight-minute stretch of basketball for UT Tyler completed a first 20 minutes of action in which they allowed just nine made baskets, and limited Midwestern State to a 29.0 percent (9-for-31) field goal percentage from the floor.
 
That advantage was padded in the first five minutes of the second half with a 16-to-7 run that featured seven points from Williams alone, and made it 55-30 with 14:53 of game time remaining. Midwestern State was never able to get back into the game from that point forward as UT Tyler maintained at least a 15-point advantage and led by as many as 26 in the best performance to date for the Patriots.
 
All 11 Patriots that saw game action recorded a point in the balanced output of scoring. UT Tyler turned 15 Midwestern State turnovers into 25 points, and won the rebounding battle by a 40-to-35 margin.
 
Junior Jordan Hairston and sophomore Kyle Frelow both added eight points while senior Milan Szabo chipped in eight rebounds and six points.
 
UT Tyler, who entered the week receiving votes in the latest NABC National Top 25 Coaches Poll, extends their win streak to five straight to open up the season.
 
The Patriots connected on 8-of-19 (42.1 percent) from beyond the three-point line for the night, including three makes from beyond the arc from Wilson. Williams finished his night 8-for-17 from the field, and has gone for point totals of 35, 25 and 20 in his first three games inside the Herrington Patriot Center.
 
UT Tyler will take part in their final non-conference game of the 2022-23 season next Saturday, Dec. 10^th against Dallas Christian before returning to Lone Star Conference play on the road against Eastern New Mexico the following week.