Box Score COMMERCE – The Tarleton men's basketball team fell behind by as many as 12 points to A&M-Commerce, but used a late 13-2 first half run and eventually outscored the Lions 50-29 over the final 25 minutes to preserve its first road victory of the season in a 70-61 win at The Fieldhouse Saturday night in Commerce.
 
Tarleton had three players score in double-figures and were led by Coleman Furst's (G, Jr, Denison) 18 points on the night. Chuck Guy (G, Jr, Fort Worth) poured in 16 points for the Texans and De'Andre Upchurch (G, Jr, Flint, Mich.) nailed four three-pointers on his way to 14 points.
 
The Texans trailed 32-30 with 5:24 left to play following a three-pointer from A&M-Commerce's Tyrie Wooten. Both Tarleton's offense and defense stepped it up a notch though, closing out the half with a 13-2 run and keeping the Lion shooters at bay as well. The Lions were just 1-for-7 in the final five minutes of the first period after going 24-for-25 in the first 15 minutes.
 
The Texans were down 34-33 at the break until Brian Word (G, Sr, Baltimore, Md.) slammed home an alley-oop from Guy to give Tarleton its first lead at the 19:30 mark of the second half. Both teams traded baskets over the next six-plus minutes until a 17-2 run put the visiting Texans on top 58-45 with less than seven minutes to play.
 
During the 17-2 run, Furst and Upchurch both hit a pair of three-pointers and Tarleton never looked back.
 
The Lions would get back to within six points of the Texans with 34 seconds left to play, but the home team was forced to foul down the stretch and Guy hit all six of his free throws in the game's final 30 seconds to give the Texans the nine-point victory.
 
The Texans shot 38.5 percent from the field in its first season and Lone Star Conference road-victory of the season, but were nails where it mattered most - at the free throw line. Tarleton shot 70.0 percent from the charity stripe, making 21 of its 30 attempts on the night.
 
After shooting 46.9 percent from the field in the first half, the Lions were held to just 10-of-33 from the floor in the second half to shoot the same 38.5 percent from the field  just as the Texans did. Tarleton committed just 11 personal fouls on the evening though and A&M-Commerce went to the free-throw line just five times.
 
The Texans out-rebounded the Lions 46-35 and outscored the home team 13-8 in second-chance points.
 
Davene Carter (F, So, Duncanville) led the team on the boards with a game-high nine rebounds. Jon Cathey-Macklin (F, Jr, Milwaukee, Wis.) was right behind him with eight rebounds and was a dominating presence in the paint with a career-high four blocked shots.
 
The Lions had four players score in double-figures and were led by Preston Whitley's 15 points on the night.
 
The Texans improved to 10-6 overall on the season and are now 4-5 in the LSC. A&M-Commerce fell to 11-8 overall and are now in a tie with the Texans at 4-5 in conference play. Both teams will meet again next Saturday, Feb. 2 at Wisdom Gym.
 
The Texans will host McMurry in non-conference action this Wednesday, Jan. 30 though, before closing out the remaining LSC schedule. Tip-off is 7 p.m. in Stephenville and the Texan players will be signing autographs following the game.