TYLER, TEXAS – The UT Tyler men's basketball team threatened the Texas A&M International lead all game behind 28 points from senior
Rashun Williams despite an 80-76 win for the Dustdevils on senior day.
Williams went 7-for-14 from the field and made 10-from-11 at the free throw line to extend his streak of 15 or more points to seven straight games with the 28-point effort. Guards
Terrell Wilson and
Jordan Hairston both added double-digit scoring efforts with 11 and 10 respectively, on an afternoon in which UT Tyler shot 44.4 percent (24-for-54) from the field.
Texas A&M International scored the first nine points of the ballgame and held the advantage for all 40 minutes of the contest despite the strong offensive showing from the Williams, Wilson and Hairston trio. UT Tyler cut the deficit to 17-15 with 11:50 remaining in the first half and stayed within striking distance for the remainder of the half despite a 41-37 lead for the Dustdevils at the break.
Texas A&M International maintained their offensive efficiency in the second half, connecting on 61.9 percent (13-of-21) of their attempts from the field in the final 20 minutes of play. The Patriots found success from beyond the three-point arc in the second half, knocking down 6-of-13 (46.5 percent) to cut what was once a 14-point Dustdevil advantage to just two with three minutes left in the game.
A Hairston three-point make with 58 seconds left on the clock kept UT Tyler in the ballgame after the comeback in the final 10 minutes of play, but a stop by Texas A&M International on the ensuing possession for UT Tyler and four made free throws in the final minute effectively put the game out of reach and solidified an 80-76 win for the Dustdevils.
Sophomore
Kyle Frelow hauled in a team-high eight rebounds, while
Quinn Smith (9) and
DJ Jones (8) both chipped in support offensively throughout the contest.
UT Tyler falls to 9-13 on the year and 5-13 in Lone Star Conference play with the loss.
The Patriots will travel to UT Permian Basin on Thursday night and Angelo State on Saturday afternoon.
