KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – UT Tyler men's basketball battled all 40 minutes against Texas A&M-Kingsville, but the Javelinas used an explosive second half to outlast the Patriots by a score of 66-59.
 
The Patriots held the Javelinas to just 35.3% shooting from the floor, but they were able to connect on five more three pointers and four more free throws to ultimately create the difference that would decide the game.
 
The contest started as a defensive battle as the two programs combined for just 15 points over the first six minutes of play as each team struggled to find a rhythm against both teams defense.
 
A 10-8 run from UT Tyler culminated with the Patriots taking a 16-14 lead with 9:17 left in the first half thanks to four different Patriots getting into the scoring column. A Quinn Smith dunk at that 9:17 mark seemed to spark something in the Patriots offense, and they ran out to a 20-9 run to close out the first half.
 
In that run alone, six Patriots found the basket, including seven points from Rashun Williams. The Javelinas in the same timeframe were held to just 3-9 shooting while committing five turnovers as UT Tyler rolled into the halftime break with a 34-23 advantage.
 
The tide began to shift in the second half however, as Texas A&M-Kingsville got out on an 11-5 run over the first 3:40 of play to cut the lead down to just five points. The Patriots continued to fight off the Javelinas with timely buckets from Williams and Jordan Love, but Texas A&M-Kingsville got hot from beyond the arc, knocking down a pair of three pointers in route to a 10-4 run that ended with a one point lead in the Javelinas favor with just 11:26 remaining.
 
Over the next five minutes, the two programs traded blows as neither side wanted to give an edge. The game was tied on five separate occasions over those five minutes and the lead traded hands seven different times, but a driving layup from the Javelinas finally gave them the lead for good with just 2:57 remaining.
 
Inside the final two minutes, four good free throws managed to cut the lead down to just three, but the Patriots were unable to capitalize and were forced to foul. Free throws from the Javelinas went down, and ultimately put the game away.  
 
Both Rashun Williams and Terrell Wilson would score in double figures for UT Tyler, as Williams put up a game-high 18 and Wilson added 12.
 
Jordan Love snagged a team-high six rebounds, and Williams would drop in three assists to lead the team.
 
Next up for the Patriots will be a critical five game homestand as they welcome in Lubbock Christian, West Texas A&M, UAFS, Oklahoma Christian, and DBU into the Herrington Patriot Center in a big opportunity for them to climb right back into the LSC race. That homestand will begin on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. against Lubbock Christian.