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ALPINE, Texas- The Sul Ross men's basketball team stole the reigns from the Cowboys for first place in the ASC West with a 78-72 conference victory over visiting Hardin-Simmons Saturday.

The loss to the Lobos puts HSU on a two-game skid following a defeat at Howard Payne Thursday.
Caleb Thomasson (Ackerly/Sands) recorded an 18-point, 10-rebound double double on the afternoon while teammate Xavier Webb (Riverton, WY/RHS) tied Thomasson with 18 points of his own.

Alex Harrison (Lubbock/Monterey) and Rocky Feliciano (El Paso/Hanks) collected 13 and 11 points in the win.

As a team Sul Ross finished shooting 28 of 65 from the floor at 43 percent but struggled from outside the arc hitting just five of 19 at 26 percent.

The Lobos took a 6-2 lead in the early stages of the opening half before a jumper by HSU's Christian O'Neal at 17:30 tied the game at eight.

Hardin-Simmons would break the tie and sport a pair of three-point leads before two free throws and a three pointer, all by Webb, swung the advantage back to SRSU leading 17-15.

The Cowboys kept things tight trailing by one following at jump shot by Nathaniel Jack at 9:22 with Sul Ross on top 21-20.

A three-point shot by the Cowboys' Cameron Barnes gave the visitors a one-possession go ahead leading 25-23 with 8:01 remaining in the half.

A jumper in the lane by Thomasson at 7:14 knotted the game at 25 before HSU's Juston Jones scored from the paint and gave the Cowboys another two-point favor, up 27-25 at 5:34.

Thomasson scored again from the lane to tie the game at 27 before several lead exchanges down the stretch ended with a bucket in the paint by Harrison and the Lobos sporting a 38-36 lead heading to intermission.

Sul Ross broke out to a pair of five-point leads to begin the second half.

The Cowboys would jump back at 13:16 with a jumper by Jack which gave HSU a 49-48 lead.

Harrison would then convert an old school three-pointer with a layup and free throw at 12:33 and returned the lead back to Sul Ross, 51-50 at 12:33.

Hardin-Simmons would hold two more one-point leads before a free throw by Jacob Dawson (Amarillo/AHS) tied the game at 59 at 5:35.

Jack would knot the contest at 61 with 4:53 remaining before Sully pounced on a 7-0 run ending with a scooper by Thomasson at 3:01 and Sul Ross ahead 68-61.

Feliciano would give the Lobos their largest lead of the period with a bucket from eight feet down the baseline at 2:24 with Sully sporting a 70-62 advantage.

Sul Ross would go on to hold two, seven-point leads with HSU pulling to within three at 19 seconds with two foul shots by Jack.

Feliciano and Harrison sealed the Cowboys' fate with a bucket and two free throws to give the Lobos the 78-72 win.

With the victory Sul Ross improves to 9-7 on the year and 5-2 in league play while the Cowboys fall to 10-6 and 5-3.

The Lobos will pay visits to Concordia and Mary Hardin-Baylor next Thursday and Saturday.