KINGSVILLE – The Tarleton Texan men's basketball team stands alone atop the Lone Star Conference South Division standings with a 4-0 record, but the second-ranked field goal percentage defense in the country knows it will not be an easy task when it puts the unblemished record on the line on the road Saturday, Jan. 30. Tip-off against a strong Texas A&M-Kingsville team is set for 7 p.m. in Kingsville.
The Texans are 16-3 overall and have won four straight and 11 of their last 12 contests this season. Tarleton is coming off an 83-63 victory at home over Abilene Christian. Devon Hills led the team with 23 points while Donta Smith had 15 rebounds in the winning effort. Hills had has 23 points in just 21 minutes of action.
Tarleton is ranked No. 7 in the first South Central Region poll of the year and has received votes a few times in the weekly national poll release by the National Basketball Coaches Association, but the purple and white have not cracked the Top 25 this season.
Hills moved into the lead in scoring this season with 12.3 points per game. Also averaging in double figures is Corin Henry (11.3), Jeremiah Wilson (11.2) and Effran Bryant (10.5). Wilson leads the squad with 8.8 rebounds per game while Smith is second with 6.9 boards per outing. Smith is averaging 9.0 boards per game in South Division play while Hills is averaging 14.8 points per game and Bryant is averaging 14.3 points per contest in the South Division. Henry leads the team with 93 assists and 35 steals while Wilson tops the squad with 32 blocks.
The Texans, which are ranked No. 3 in the country in scoring defense, are outscoring opponents 71.9 to 55.6 this season. Tarleton is averaging .436 from the floor, .372 from the three-point arc and .690 from the charity stripe while opponents are shooting .360 from the field, .303 from the arc and .648 from the line. Tarleton is outrebounding opponents 38.3 to 32.9.
In conference action, the Texans are averaging .482 from the floor, .402 from the arc and .730 from the stripe while holding opponents to .351 from the field and .243 from the arc. Tarleton is outscoring South Division foes 76.5 to 54.2 and outrebounding them 35.8 to 30.5.
The Javelinas are 11-8 overall and 1-3 in the LSC South Division after dropping a 66-85 decision at Midwestern State on Wednesday. The lone conference win came in overtime against Angelo State (97-91) in Kingsville.
Antwan Mullins leads the team with 13.1 points per game while Flavio Milam (12.5) and Royce Gaye (11.7) are also averaging in double digits. Milam is tops in rebounding with 6.6 rebounds per outing while Gaye is second with 5.2 boards per contest.
TAMUK is averaging .402 from the field, .288 from the arc and .710 from the line while opponents are shooting .448 from the floor, .339 from the arc and .720 from the stripe. The Javelinas are being outrebounded 36.5 to 33.5 and are outscoring foes 68.2 to 67.4.
The series between the two teams, which began in 1969, is led by Tarleton, 24-21. The Javelinas won both contests last season to end a 13-game winning streak by the Texans. Under head coach Lonn Reisman, Tarleton is 19-10 against the Javelinas, including a 5-7 mark in Kingsville.
The game will be broadcast on KSTV 93.1 FM and online as well. Fans can watch the games on the TAMUK athletics website as well as live stats.
