SEGUIN — College basketball is officially underway.
On Tuesday night, the Sul Ross State men's basketball team tipped off a new season at Memorial Gymnasium against the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs.
It was a game of peaks and valleys in the first half as the Bulldogs gained a big lead before Sul Ross fought back to be within reach.
In the end, Texas Lutheran pulled away in the second half to take the 85-66 victory.
Julian Paredes knocked down the first bucket of the season for the Lobos as he hit a three-pointer early in the opening half.
Sul Ross got another three, this time from Luke Pluymen to make the score 6-5.
Texas Lutheran then went on a run to lead 14-8 with 15:57 on the clock.
Pluymen landed a jumper in the paint and then Larry Morrison slammed down a dunk to put the Lobos back on top, 15-14.
As the Sul Ross offense went cold, the Bulldogs turned it up a notch to take a 10-point lead with 9:49 to go.
Another three from Pluymen and a layup by Vince Peralez put the Lobos behind by three with five and a half minutes left until halftime.
Texas Lutheran then went ahead by nine.
The Lobos cut the deficit back down to three when
Gabe Sanchez hit a three-pointer with 3:25 remaining.
To finish out the half, the Bulldogs closed out on a 10-0 run to lead 45-35.
Texas Lutheran held its largest lead in the second half, up by 21 with 6:52 to go in the contest.
Pluymen got into some foul trouble, drawing four, but he still managed to lead the Lobos with 16 points, three assists and two steals.
Paredes chipped in with 14 points, three rebounds and one assist. Kenyatis Turner added with seven points.
Christian Nevarez grabbed seven rebounds as Sul Ross finished with 31 total boards, 24 of which came on the defensive end.
Trey Nelson also had three assists. Sul Ross tallied 10 steals and 10 assists.
The Lobos shot 14 of 22 from the free throw line. After starting off the game knocking down six 3-pointers in the first half, Sul Ross struggled from beyond the arc in the second half going 0 for 8.
Sul Ross got 26 points off the bench and 32 points from within the paint.
>> RECORDS: Sul Ross 0-1; Texas Lutheran 1-0
>> UP NEXT: The Lobos travel to El Paso to take on UTEP for a 7 p.m. MST tipoff on Tuesday, Nov. 15.
