KINGSVILLE, Texas – Junior Jordan Wilson (Bltyheville, Texas) poured in 24 points and fellow junior Sammy Brooks (Dallas, Texas) added 16 with a game-high five assists and a team-high five rebounds as the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team opened the 2020-21 season with an 84-74 victory over the Arkansas-Fort Smith Lions on Friday afternoon in Lone Star Conference action at the Steinke Physical Education Center in Kingsville, Texas.
This is the sixth time in the last seven seasons the Javelinas have won their season opener. It also marks the third time in the last four years they've started the conference slate with a win.
"Any time you win, you're going to be happy," said coach Johnny Estelle, "especially this year. This is a very trying time for our country, but it's a very trying time for these young men. In their world, basketball is a huge thing. It's their why. When that was taken away from them, they didn't know if they would ever play again. Getting back to the court is therapeutic. To come out with a win under those circumstances, it makes all that hard work and dedication and commitment they've given worth it."
Wilson's 24 points tied for a game-high while Brooks' five dimes led all players and was a new career-high. Brooks also contributed three steals to a Javelina defensive that collected 12 swipes, a total the Hogs topped only once a year ago. Sophomore Creighton Avery (Corpus Christi, Texas) joined Brooks and Wilson in double figures in scoring with 11 points, all of them in the second half.
"We went through a lot of struggles this offseason," said Wilson, "but coach kept us locked in. We came in every day with that same mentality, stay locked in and when that day comes be ready. I feel like we were ready today."
The teams started the day by trading buckets and the Hogs held an 8-7 lead with four-and-a-half minutes gone before going off on the game's first run. Five points by junior Tyrese Patterson (Harlem, N.Y.) and a trey from junior Ellis Jones (Houston, Texas) sprung a Hogs on a 10-2 stretch to put their lead at nine.
The Lions responded by closing to within three at 22-19 before another TAMUK burst pushed the difference to double figures. A pair of Tre Flowers (Bryan, Texas) triples helped reignite the Javelina offense, which outscored their guests 27-11 over the final eight-and-a-half minutes of the period. Nine of those points came from Brooks and helped stake the home team to a 49-30 halftime lead.
In the second half, the Javs pushed their lead as high as 20 before the Lions made a run at a comeback. Over one six-and-a-half-minute stretch, UAFS outscored the Hogs 18-4 and changed the score from 60-40 to 64-58. The play that helped stem the tide came from Avery, who buried a three that gave TAMUK a 71-62 advantage and the Lions never got closer than eight points after that.
The Javelinas and the Lions meet again on Saturday to close out the season's first weekend. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. Stay current with TAMUK men's basketball all year long by following @JavelinaMBB and @JavelinaSports on Twitter and Instagram, liking Javelina Men's Basketball on Facebook and subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
