Game Info	Opponent Info
UT Tyler vs. Oklahoma Christian UTT: 6-2, 2-2 LSC | OC: 4-7, 0-5 LSC Friday, Dec. 30th | 7:30 P.M. Edmond, Okla. | The Eagles Nest		ROSTER	SCHEDULE	STATS
UT Tyler at UAFS UTT: 6-2, 2-2 LSC | UAFS: 6-5, 2-3 LSC Sunday, Jan. 1st | 3:00 P.M. Fort Smith, Ark. | Stubblefield Center		ROSTER	SCHEDULE	STATS

A TOUGH ROAD TRIP

UT Tyler suffered their first two losses of the 2022-23 season in their most recent action before the Christmas Break, falling by final scores of 68-45 and 60-55 to Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico. The Patriot offense never found it's footing in the first defeat of the season against Eastern New Mexico, shooting just 28 percent (16-of-57) from the field for the contest. Eastern New Mexico rattled off 18 unanswered points midway through the first half of action to jump ahead early 30-to-12, and never relinquished control of the game from that point forward. UT Tyler had just a single scorer in double-digit point totals in junior Barnell Davis with 18 points on a 6-for-17 night from the field. The offensive struggles continued against Western New Mexico as the Patriots shot well below their season average percentage on offense as they made just 32.8% of their attempts and shot 16.7% from beyond the arc. Western New Mexico pulled away late thanks to success at the free throw line, handing the Patriots a second consecutive defeat. UT Tyler will return from the Christmas Break this weekend on the road once again with a 6-2 overall record and a 2-2 record in Lone Star Conference play. 

WHAT COACH WILSON IS SAYING

On what his team will do to prepare for a two week road trip ... "Our focus is to make sure as Mariano Duncan of the '96 Yankees used to say, "We play today, we win today." As far as the road trip that follows, we've done that, that was what the trip to Arkansas Tech and Northeastern State was about, to give us the opportunity to play a road weekend and see what that felt like. So hopefully that experience will translate when we go on the road."

NOT ALL IS LOST

The two losses knocked UT Tyler out of both the NABC Division II National Top 25 Poll and the D2SIDA South Central Regional Poll, but in no way shape or form removed UT Tyler from postseason consideration or as one of the top teams in the Lone Star Conference. The two games did expose a potential deficit for the Patriots if not addressed quickly as UT Tyler now ranks last in the LSC in league games with an average of just 61.3 points per game. On the flip side of the coin, the Patriot defense stood strong in both losses and still ranks no. 1 in the LSC in league games surrendering just 60.3 points per game. UT Tyler will need to find their offensive footing quickly, but can continue to rely on a top defensive unit to keep them in ballgames as some of the offensive struggles will undoubtedly be addressed over the coming weeks.

AS GOOD AS ANY ON THE DEFENSIVE END OF THE FLOOR

Head coach Louis Wilson's high-pressure defense has been clicking on all cylinders in 2022-23, as the Patriots lead the Lone Star Conference and rank within the top 10 nationally in scoring defense (59.8 ppg). That scoring defense ranks seventh in all of Division II basketball and has allowed their opposition to reach 70 points just once this season. 

COACH WILSON

Head coach Louis Wilson is in his fourth season at the helm of the UT Tyler men's basketball program in 2022-23, and eighth season overall as a head coach at the Division II level. The 2022-23 season will mark the 31st year of collegiate basketball coaching experience for Wilson, as he accumulated 23 years of experience at the Division I level as an associate or assistant head coach prior to his time in Tyler. He spent five years as head coach at Division II foe Adams State of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) from 2010-15, totaling a 95-46 record as head coach of the Grizzlies, and led the program to three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Division II National Tournament from 2010-13. Coach Wilson enters Monday night with a record of 42-41 in his four years as head coach of the Patriots.