TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler ran away with an 87-62 win over Dallas Christian College on Monday night to secure the first win of the Tim Moser era for the program.
 
The Patriots (1-2, 0-0 LSC) closed out the game on a 39-14 run and limited Dallas Christian College (0-4, 0-0)  to just four made baskets over the final 15 minutes of play. That stretch broke open a game that was tied 48-48 with 14:31 left in the contest and solidified the first win of the Tim Moser era for the UT Tyler men's basketball program.
 
Guards Bryce Roberts and Khalik Gardner both went for 19 points to lead a UT Tyler offense that shot 55.4 percent (36-for-65) from the field on the night. Junior John Barbee added 13 points and Juan Pablo Camargo 11 points to join the Roberts-Gardner duo in double-digit scoring figures.
 
The UT Tyler defense suffocated Dallas Christian College in the final 15 minutes of the second half, limiting the Crusaders to just 4-for-23 from the field. The Patriots on the other hand made 17-of-26 in the final 15 minutes of action and quickly broke open what was largely a tight contest up to that point.
 
A Jonathan Jackson three-pointer at the 12:31 mark gave UT Tyler it's largest lead at 57-52 since the early stages of the first half. That make came in the midst of a 17-6 run over four minutes of game action that resulted in a 64-54 UT Tyler lead.
 
The Patriots tacked on six more unanswered points to effectively put the game away up 70-54 with less than six minutes remaining.
 
That run and dominant final 15 minutes of the game negated a 41-38 first half deficit for the Patriots and led to a 49-to-21 scoring advantage in the second half of action.
 
UT Tyler went 21-for-34 (61.8 percent) from the floor in the second half and scored 32 points in the paint in the final 20 minutes of play alone. Gardner went a perfect 5-for-5 from the field in the second half, scoring 11 of his 19 points for the game.
 
The Patriots won the rebounding battle 43-to-37, scored 50 points in the paint for the game and totaled nine blocks to dominant inside for the entirety of the contest.
 
Sophomore Alec Zambie posted eight points and a team-high eight rebounds. Camargo and Gardner each added six boards.
 
UT Tyler went just 5-for-25 (20.0 percent) from beyond the three-point line for the game.
 
The Patriots will stay inside the Herrington Patriot Center for a third straight outing on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. against Arkansas Tech.