CAGUAS, PUERTO RICO – The UT Tyler men's basketball program finished its non-conference schedule undefeated after taking down Puerto Rico–Bayamón on Thursday afternoon. The Patriots held the Cowboys to 37.3 percent shooting from the field and knocked down seven three-pointers in the second half to take control of the game and move to 6–3 on the season.
The game opened with back-and-forth action over the first five minutes, as Hudson Anderson and Xavier Williams each connected on mid-range jumpers. Puerto Rico–Bayamón held a 7–6 advantage at the 16:14 mark following a pair of paint points and a three-pointer. UT Tyler responded with a decisive 13–0 run from the 15:38 mark to the 9:27 mark. Williams sparked the run with a steal and score, followed shortly by John Barbee with the same sequence. Noah Suarjaya capped the surge with seven consecutive points via free throws, a layup, and a three-pointer to push the Patriots' lead to 19–7, their largest of the first half.
From there, play remained back and forth for the remainder of the half. The Patriots carried a 39–31 lead into the break after closing the half on a 6–0 run fueled by free throws. UT Tyler controlled the rebounding margin 17–10 and shot 57.7 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes.
The Patriots came out hot in the second half, opening with a 6–0 run in the first two minutes behind a Sam Phipps dunk, Barbee free throws, and a Williams strip and score to make it 45–31. The Cowboys halted the run with free throws before the teams traded baskets. Suarjaya then drilled another three at the 13-minute mark to extend UT Tyler's lead to 17, the largest of the game.
Puerto Rico–Bayamón mounted its best run at the 11-minute mark, using two three-pointers and five free throws to put together an 11–0 stretch and cut the deficit to 56–50. The game again settled into a back-and-forth rhythm the rest of the way, before Williams helped secure the victory with a layup and a three-pointer down the stretch.
UT Tyler held the Cowboys to 31.6 percent shooting in the second half and forced eight turnovers, while the offense went 11-for-23 from the field with seven made three-pointers. For the game, the Patriots shot 53.1 percent and pulled down 30 rebounds. Phipps led the team with a +15 plus-minus, finishing with five points, nine rebounds, one block, and one steal. Suarjaya paced the Patriots with 17 points and three three-pointers, while Williams anchored the defense with four steals and added 13 points on 60 percent shooting.
The Patriots move to 6–3 on the season and remain undefeated in non-conference play. UT Tyler will enjoy a break before resuming Lone Star Conference action on January 2 in San Angelo.
