TYLER, Texas – The Javelinas continued their streak of hot second half starts as they stormed out of the break to retake the lead from UT Tyler and carried it to the finish, taking the win, 66-60.
The Javelinas (4-12, LSC 2-9) snap a four-game losing streak as they close out a four-game road stint. The Patriots (2-14, LSC 1-10) drop their fourth in a row, their only Lone Star win coming against UA Fort Smith.
The matchup was hotly contested from the jump as the teams traded ties and the lead in the first half of the contest, tied 25-25 as 2:37 remained in the half. Just before the break, the Patriots managed a small run, capped off by free throws just before the buzzer to take a six-point lead into the locker rooms.
Like they have managed many times this season, the Hogs came out of the break fired up. Within the first five minutes of the second stanza, the Javelinas were red hot, going on a 9-0 run to snatch back the lead.
Both teams traded baskets down the stretch, the Patriots unable to retake the lead but the Javelinas unable to extend it past five points. Finally, a three-pointer from
C.J. Smith and a follow-up jumper from
Zyon Little gave the Hogs a cushion of eight points going into the final three minutes of the contest.
The Patriots attempted one last comeback of their own, but accurate finishing at the rim and at the charity stripe allowed the Hogs to secure the lead and carry it to the final buzzer for their first win since Jan. 4.
In an all-around team effort, 10 different Javelinas got their name on the scoresheet. Additionally, the Hogs racked up nine steals on the afternoon, led by
Allen Singleton with three. Meanwhile,
Jordan Henderson totaled three of the team's four blocks.
Smith led the Javelinas in scoring once again, walking away with 16 points on 41.7 percent shooting from the field. He also led the squad in assists along with
Andre Walker III with three and snagged two more steals to add to his conference-leading count.
Alongside his three blocks, Henderson led the team in rebounding with seven total rebounds while also adding seven points to the scoresheet.
Little put up another solid performance on the afternoon, finishing with eight points, six rebounds, and a steal.
Kendrick Washington and
Jason Clark turned in solid statlines to the great team performance, too. Both finished with five rebounds while Clark finished with eight points. Washington totaled four points, a block, and a steal as well.
UP NEXT
The Javelinas are back in SPEC to take on Eastern New Mexico and Western New Mexico on Jan. 25 and Jan. 27.
The matchup against ENMU will be Pack the House night with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The WNMU game will be Coaches vs. Cancer, scheduled for 3 p.m.
Follow the Javelinas all season long by visiting javelinaathletics.com to find links to live stats and streaming information as well as a recap at the end of each contest. To keep up-to-date with Javelina Men's Basketball, follow the program on Facebook /JavelinaMBB or on X @JavelinaMBB. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network.
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