TYLER, TEXAS – A slow offensive afternoon of basketball for UT Tyler led to a 65-50 defeat at the hands of Western New Mexico.
 
The Patriots (1-7, 0-4 LSC) shot just 32.8 percent (19-for-58) from the floor and 4-for-22 (18.2 percent) from beyond the three-point line in the contest. Western New Mexico (3-7, 1-3 LSC) maintained a double-digit advantage for the final 10:56 of play and outscored UT Tyler by a 33-to-23 margin in the second half.
 
Graduate student Ryan Zambie was the lone scorer to reach double-digits on the afternoon for UT Tyler with 13 points and matched the team-high alongside his brother Alec Zambie with six rebounds.
 
Western New Mexico jumped ahead 5-3 in the early stages of the contest and never relinquished the advantage from that point forward. The Patriots cut a once 22-11 deficit with 10:07 remaining in the opening half to just two following nine straight unanswered points.
 
UT Tyler stayed within reach heading down the final stretch of the first half, but never managed the tying point, and trailed 32-27 at the halftime break after four unanswered points for the Mustangs in the final 1:11 of play. The Patriots made just nine shots from the field in the first half, three of which were from three-point range.
 
Western New Mexico extended their first lead of 10 or more at the 15:35 mark of the second half with a 44-32 advantage, and then quickly regained firm control of the pace and scoreboard after UT Tyler cut the deficit to just eight points.  
 
The Mustangs led by as many as 17 and finished the game 23-for-52 (44.2 percent) from the floor and 8-for-22 (36.4 percent) from beyond the three-point line.
 
Junior Juan Pablo Camargo went 4-for-9 from the field for UT Tyler to finish with nine points, while freshman Khalik Gardner converted on 3-of-4 to finish with eight points.
 
The Patriots will now reset and head to Honolulu, Hawaii on Dec. 16^th and 17^th for a pair of games against The University of Alaska-Anchorage and Chaminade in the Hoops in Hawaii Holiday Classic.