On the brink of beating the University of the Mary Hardin-Baylor at home for the first time since 2019, the Sul Ross State men's basketball team had a good start Saturday evening at the Pete P. Gallego Center.
Unfortunately, the Lobos couldn't finish with the end result they had hoped for as they came up short, 69-64.
>> HOW IT HAPPENED:
There were two early lead changes in the first half before the Lobos went on a 6-0 run to take a six-point lead.
Manny Flores knocked down two 3-pointers during the run.
The score was tied once more at 13-all with 12:17 on the clock.
Gabe Sanchez then landed a three to put the Lobos ahead.
Sul Ross State knocked down seven 3-pointers in the first half.
At the 11:07 mark, Sanchez hit another three to start a 13-0 run which gave the Lobos a commanding 14-point lead.
UMHB cut the deficit down to seven with 3:56 to go in the half.
The Lobos got eight points from
Will Fievre as he hit two 3-pointers to help extend his teams lead to 15 with just under two minutes remaining.
UMHB closed out the half with a 7-0 run to trail by eight at the break.
Sul Ross State led by 10 with 14:54 in the second half after
Tyler Jackson scored with a layup to fuel a 5-0 run.
The Crusaders cut the lead in half with a 5-0 run.
UMHB later went on a 10-0 run to take a three-point lead with 9:12 on the clock.
On a layup by
Bryce Harris, the Lobos trailed by one point.
Hayden Peterson then got a three-point play after being fouled on a made layup which gave Sul Ross State a two-point lead.
The Lobos led by four with 5:45 left to go.
UMHB then used a 5-0 run to take a one-point lead.
Harris made another clutch layup which put the Lobos ahead by one before the Crusaders tied up the score at 59-all with 3:29 on the clock.
The Crusaders were up by four until the Lobos chipped away by making three free throws to trail by one with 37 seconds to go.
As the Lobos fouled to keep the game within reach, the Crusaders made four free throws down the stretch to pull away with the win.
>> RECORDS: UMHB (5-5); Sul Ross State (6-5)
>> SUL ROSS CONNECTION:
- It was the return of Clif Carroll, who spent five years at the helm of the Sul Ross State men's basketball program … Carroll led the Lobos to three American Southwest Conference West Division titles.
>> GAME NOTES:
- Four Lobos scored in double digits.
- Jackson led the way with 14 points and eight rebounds.
- Sanchez and Fievre each had 11 points.
- Harris tallied a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
- Peterson added with eight points while Flores had six points.
- The Lobos knocked down eight 3-pointers. Sanchez made three.
- Sul Ross State shot 46 percent from beyond the arc in the first half.
- Sul Ross State out rebounded the Crusaders, 44-42.
- The Lobos shot 8 of 9 from the free throw line.
>> UP NEXT: The Lobos host Navajo Technical University at 4 p.m. CST on Sunday, Dec. 17.
