KINGSVILLE, Texas – Despite both sophomore C.J. Smith (Mansfield, Texas) and freshman Derek Luna (Palmview, Texas) scoring in double figures, the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team suffered a 75-65 loss on Thursday night to the UT Permian Basin Falcons at the Steinke Physical Education Center in Kingsville, Texas.
This loss snaps a 16-game home win streak for the Javelinas that dated back to Feb. 15th, 2020. It also breaks a five-game win streak during the current campaign and puts the Javs at 5-2. UTPB is 4-2 on the season.
"The rhythm of the game, there wasn't a lot of flow to it," said coach Johnny Estelle, "and you have to give them credit. Their coach did an unbelievable job with their guys and they hit some big shots. We couldn't keep them out of the paint and they did a good job. We didn't have a rhythm on offense, didn't shoot it particularly well. It wasn't our night."
Smith's 16 points were a team-high and he also led the Javs with four assists. Luna shot 5-of-7 from the field, scoring 13 points while junior Will Chayer (Corpus Christi, Texas) pulled down a team-best eight rebounds.
The game started with team's exchanging runs, as TAMUK scored the first six points before UTPB came back with eight-in-a-row. The Javelinas answered with 10-2 burst that was capped by a triple courtesy of Smith and made the score 16-10.
The Falcons fought back to tie the score at 21 before consecutive threes from junior Sammy Brooks (Dallas, Texas) and Smith put the Hogs ahead by six. UTPB then stole the momentum back with their own 10-2 run, but the Javs bounced back to tie the score three times, the last instance on a C.J. Smith jumper in the closing seconds of the half that sent the teams to the break tied at 37.
At the start of the second half, the visitors couldn't miss, hitting their first six shots and grabbing a lead that reached 11 points with 12:18 to play. TAMUK's attempt at a comeback brought them to within three with just under six minutes remaining, but the Falcons scored the next two buckets and the Hogs were never able to make it a one-possession game again.
The next challenge for TAMUK will be a matchup with No. 12 Angelo State at the SPEC at 4 p.m. on Saturday. Fans can keep up with Javelina men's basketball throughout the season by following @JavelinaMBB on Twitter and Instagram, liking Texas A&M University-Kingsville Men's Basketball on Facebook, subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube channel and visiting Javelinaathletics.com. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
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