No. 15 Rams Edge Pilots, 70-69
November 29, 2008
FORT WORTH, Texas - The No. 15 ranked Texas Wesleyan University men’s basketball team took a 70-69 win over No. 8 LSUS, as Tyrone Hamilton's missed shot at the end of regulation left the Pilots on the short end on Saturday.
LSUS opened the game on fire from beyond the arc and used a tenacious defensive effor to grab a 10-point lead at 22-12 early on. Texas Wesleyan managed to cut the margin to five at 27-22, but the Pilots responded again and went into the locker room with a 36-26 half-time lead.
The Pilots maintained a double-digit lead throughout much of the early portion of the second half, until the Rams began chipping away at the lead midway through the half. Texas Wesleyan cut the Pilots lead down to just two points, but a 7-0 run by LSUS pushed them back ahead 59-50.
However, Wesleyan responded with a 13-3 run and took a one-point lead at the 6 minute mark on a free-throw by Terrell Henry, their first lead since the 18:12 mark of the first half.
The lead changed hands four more times before Texas Wesleyan went up 70-69 on a three from Chris Berry with just over one minute left in the game.
On the Rams' final possession the Pilots played outstanding defense, blocking a pair of shots and forcing a shot-clock violation, to get the ball back with 13 seconds to play. With five seconds remaining, Hamilton’s jumper missed its mark and the clock expired as each team scrambled for the rebound.
Four of the five LSUS starters reached double-figures in scoring, led by Hamilton’s 21. Chris Gatlin finished the game with 15 points, while Clarke Jackson had 12 in his season debut and Jared Stevenson scored 11.
Berry and Henry paced the Rams with 22 points apiece. Hector Mukweyi added 13 points, nine rebounds, and five blocked shots off the bench.
The Pilots (3-4) will return to action on Tuesday night when they face Wiley College at The Dock. LSUS needed overtime to defeat Wiley in an earlier contest this season.
