TYLER, TEXAS – The UT Tyler men's basketball team controlled the tempo from start to finish on Saturday night, using 11 made three-pointers and a strong second-half push to secure an 87–69 Lone Star Conference victory over Sul Ross State inside the Herrington Patriot Center.
UT Tyler opened the game with defensive intensity, forcing a miss on Sul Ross State's first possession before Sam Phipps put the Patriots on the board at the 19:11 mark with a layup off an assist from Xavier Williams. After the Lobos answered on the next trip, Gregory Fowlds knocked down the Patriots' first three-pointer at 18:16 to give UT Tyler an early 5–2 edge.
Sean Emfinger followed with a three of his own at the 17:46 mark, extending the lead to 8–2 as UT Tyler began to settle into its offensive rhythm. Sul Ross State countered with perimeter shooting, but the Patriots continued to answer. Kyle Morgan buried a three, and Emfinger attacked the paint for a layup at 15:04 to keep UT Tyler in front.
Midway through the half, the Patriots maintained control through balanced scoring and strong rebounding. John Barbee drilled a three-pointer at 13:24 to push the margin to 18–11, and Hudson Anderson added a fast-break dunk to make it 20–13. Despite several attempts, Sul Ross State was unable to string together a sustained run as UT Tyler consistently responded.
The Patriots closed the opening half with momentum. Emfinger scored on consecutive possessions late, and Morgan capped the half with a layup at the 50-second mark to send UT Tyler into the break with a 43–35 advantage.
UT Tyler wasted little time extending the lead after halftime. Fowlds opened the second half with a jumper at 19:44, then followed with a three-pointer to stretch the margin to 48–36. Barbee later added a tip-in, and Phipps connected on a jumper moments later as the Patriots pushed the lead to 52–38.
Sul Ross State attempted to respond with interior scoring and trips to the free-throw line, trimming the deficit to 12, but UT Tyler continued to answer. Boston Caldwell knocked down a three at the 12:02 mark to make it 55–41, and Emfinger followed with another three to push the lead back to 11.
The Patriots seized full control midway through the half. Phipps converted a fast-break layup, Emfinger followed with another finish in the paint, and after a pair of free throws, Emfinger knocked down another three at the 6:57 mark to give UT Tyler its largest lead of the night at 70–51.
Down the stretch, UT Tyler maintained its composure, continuing to score efficiently while limiting Sul Ross State's second-chance opportunities. Barbee drilled a three at the 2:53 mark, Williams finished in transition, and Anderson followed with a fast-break layup to push the lead to 81–62. Caldwell capped the scoring with a three-pointer in the final minute as UT Tyler closed out the 18-point victory.
Emfinger led the Patriots with a game-high 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting, including three three-pointers. Phipps added a strong all-around effort in the paint with 14 points, nine rebounds, and two blocks, while Barbee, Morgan, and Caldwell each contributed timely scoring. UT Tyler's red-hot shooting was one of its best performances of the season, as the Patriots went 11-for-23 from deep and shot 55 percent from the floor, with five different players knocking down multiple three-pointers.
UT Tyler will continue Lone Star Conference play on Thursday afternoon as the Patriots head to the state capital of Austin to take on St. Edward's, looking to build on Saturday night's wire-to-wire performance.
