ALPINE, Texas - Men's hoops was in a tight battle all night but prevailed 76-72 over Howard Payne on Thursday at the Gallego Center.

"What a game, and hats off to HPU," said head coach Xavier Webb. "The Yellow Jackets played hard and are very well coached. Coach B.J. Hollis did a good job for us scouting and getting our guys ready. I'm proud of the way our guys fought through some adversity to find the win despite our shooting percentages. We found a way to win and it was a big win with it being a conference game. We continue to build and move on to the next!"

First Half
HPU started with an 8-2 run that was later cut to 11-10 with a 6-1 run from the Lobos. Sully's first lead came at 14-13 with a layup from Gabe Sanchez. He was fouled on the make and sank the free throw for a two-point advantage. HPU immediately took the lead back and upped to it as many as nine for a 30-21 score. Larry Morrison scored the next four with a pair of free throws and a layup to cut it to five. Sanchez then sank a triple before Paredes tied the game with a jumper. Paredes later stepped to the line and sank a pair of free throws for a two-point lead. Sanchez later finished what was a 12-1 run with a free throw. An HPU jumper put an end to the run to cut it to one before a Daveone Bass layup made it 35-32 going to the half.

Second Half
Paredes opened the second half with a triple to lead by six. HPU cut it to one on a pair of occasions before Mitchell Martinez hit a jumper and then Jake Lopez a three-pointer for a 46-40 advantage. Sully upped it to seven and continued to hold a lead until a 7-0 run by the Yellow Jackets gave them a 60-58 lead with under 10 minutes left. Bass tied it with a jumper and Paredes followed that with two free throws. Logan Dixon later stepped to the line and knocked down two more before Martinez sank a jumper. Paredes and Bass later stepped to the line for two and each made one of their attempts at the line. Paredes then sank a jumper for a 10-point lead to conclude a 12-0 run for a 70-60 lead with around 4:00 left. HPU was able to cut it to three twice, but the Lobos secured a 76-72 win.

Paredes tied for a game-high 20 points and career-high 19 rebounds with seven offensive.

Bass was also in double digits with 10 points and added three steals.

The Lobos move to 2-1 on the season and 2-0 in conference. HPU's record evens at 2-2 and 1-1 in conference.

Sully next plays host to Schreiner on Saturday, November 20 for a non-conference game at the Gallego Center.