TYLER, TEXAS – UT Tyler used a momentum-shifting run in the second half and a dominant shooting night after the break to pull away from Oklahoma Christian for a 76–64 victory on Valentine's Day during Shoot Your Shot Night inside the Herrington Patriot Center.
The Patriots jumped out to an early 6-6 tie behind baskets from Noah Suarjaya and Sam Phipps before Oklahoma Christian found rhythm midway through the opening half. The Eagles pieced together a quick scoring burst fueled by transition opportunities and outside shooting, stretching the margin to 21-13 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
UT Tyler answered with timely perimeter shooting to keep the deficit manageable. Chris Carpenter knocked down a three-pointer at the 10:05 mark, and Heath Tenner followed with another triple to trim the gap to four. After Oklahoma Christian briefly pushed its lead back to seven, the Patriots surged late in the half.
Sean Emfinger sparked the run by converting a pair of free throws and finishing a steal with a fastbreak dunk that cut the margin to three. Moments later, John Barbee buried a three-pointer from the wing to make it a one-possession game. Despite Oklahoma Christian carrying a 35-31 lead into halftime, UT Tyler closed the period with clear momentum after forcing turnovers and generating transition chances.
The Patriots wasted little time flipping the game in the second half. Suarjaya opened the scoring with a layup before Kyle Morgan drilled a go-ahead three-pointer to give UT Tyler its first lead since the early minutes. Defensive pressure from Phipps and Jacob Bell created consecutive stops, and Phipps punctuated the stretch with a dunk that pushed the Patriots in front 40-37.
UT Tyler continued to build separation behind Morgan's hot shooting. The senior guard buried back-to-back three-pointers at the 14:24 and 14:02 marks, extending the lead to double digits. Emfinger added two triples of his own during the next stretch, including one at 10:15 that gave the Patriots their largest cushion of the night.
Oklahoma Christian attempted to rally with a late scoring push, trimming the deficit to 12 with under five minutes to play. Each time the Eagles threatened, UT Tyler responded with composed possessions and key rebounds. The Patriots sealed the win at the free throw line, converting their attempts in the final minutes to keep the margin secure.
Emfinger led all scorers with 26 points, shooting 8-of-21 from the field and a perfect 7-of-7 at the free throw line while adding four rebounds and two steals. Morgan added 18 points and eight rebounds, connecting on four three-pointers and all four of his free throw attempts. Phipps anchored the paint with eight points and a game-high 10 rebounds, including six offensive boards that fueled 14 second-chance points.
UT Tyler finished with a 43-34 advantage on the glass and scored 18 points off turnovers while adding 13 fastbreak points. The Patriots shot 40.5 percent in the second half and improved their three-point efficiency to 43.8 percent after the break, using balanced scoring and defensive intensity to secure the Valentine's Day home victory.
