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SAN ANGELO – The Tarleton Texan men's basketball team needed a win Saturday to claim a share of the Lone Star Conference South Division title, but after being outrebounded and outscored in the second half in second chance points, the Texans fell 90-81 in the final regular season game of the season.
Tarleton dropped to 21-6 overall and 9-3 in the South Division to finish second behind Midwestern State after being outscored 12-2 in second chance points. The Rams grabbed 10 offensive boards to help down the visitors as Tarleton gave up 90 points for the first time since Dec. 12
“I thought that they outplayed us tonight,” said head coach Lonn Reisman. “I didn't see the intensity and the drive we have seen the last few games. I thought our defense was really bad tonight. We haven't given up that many points in a long time, and I didn't see anyone challenging anyone. I thought we were very complacent tonight.
“Nobody took it upon their shoulders to shut them down tonight,” Reisman said. “We did not want to get into a fast-paced rhythm, and tonight, we just did not execute the things we needed to do to get a victory.”
The game had no bearing on the LSC Championship Tournament that begins next week in Bartlesville, Okla. The Texans will face the Lions of Texas A&M-Commerce at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 3.
“We would have been liked to get the win tonight, but we didn't take care of our business,” Reisman said. “Now we are going to have to refocus and see if we can play an outstanding team in Texas A&M-Commerce at the LSC tournament. Everyone is now 0-0, and we will see if we are ready to work and willing to go out and play on Wednesday.”
LaMarshall Corbett scored first 58 seconds into the contest, but Wale Ogunoye had a hook shot on the opposite end to tie the score. Jeremiah Wilson had a jumper to give the Texans a 4-2 lead with 17:58 remaining. Stavon Williams scored the first two of 19 first-half points before Devon Hills had an old-fashioned three-point play at 16:41 when fouled on a layup on an inbounds pass. Tarleton led 7-4.
ASU's Williams then scored the next seven points to give the Rams an 11-7 lead before Corin Henry had a three at 15:07 and Effran Bryant had a layup at 14:16. After two free throws by Corbett, Bryant had a fastbreak three to make it 15-13 Texans with 12:31 remaining on the clock.
The Rams then scored nine straight points to take a 22-15 advantage with 9:29 on the clock. Bryant then sandwiched two threes around a Williams bucket to cut the lead to 24-21. After a Derrick Webster bucket , Wilson got a layup before Chris Ellis did the same on the opposite end. Tarleton's Donta Smith had a layup and then a layup to cut the lead to 28-26. Williams was fouled while shooting a three, and the Ram hit all three free throws to make it 33-28 with 4:24 remaining in the period.
Oguonye and Wilson each had putbacks before Wilson had a three form the top of the key to put the Texans ahead 35-33 with 2:16 left in the half. Oguonye had a free throw to make it a three-point lead with 1:28 on the clock before the Rams scored the last five points of the half within the last 70 seconds to take a 38-36 lead at the break.
The Rams averaged .524 from the field in the first 20 minutes while shooting .824 from the charity stripe. Tarleton went to the line just seven times in the first period and averaged .412 from the floor.
Shavar Burch opened the second half with a jumper before Smith did the same for the Texans. ASU then scored six straight to take a 46-38 lead with 16:34 remaining in the contest. Ogunoye then had a free throw before a Smith layup at 15:37 cut the lead to five, 46-41. Williams then had a putback before a Corbett three at 14:10.
Smith then got an old-fashioned three-point play before Hills nailed a three from the right corner at 13:35 to cut the lead to four, 51-47. Barnes then went to the line for ASU at 12:51 and made one of two shots to make it 52-47. Webster added a bucket to stretch the lead to seven with just over 12:30 remaining in the half. Hills was fouled shooting a three, and the Texan junior hit all three bonus shots to cut the lead to four (54-50) with 12:14 on the clock.
Barnes and Oguonye traded buckets in the paint before Ellis had a three from the left corner to make it a seven-point contest. Webster had a fastbreak layup to stretch the lead to nine (61-52). Smith was fouled with 9:53 on the clock, and the Texan hit both free throws to cut the lead to seven. Ellis and Smith traded baskets before Hills went to the line at 8:33. The junior cut the lead to six with a free throw before Burch went to the line at 7:50. The Ram hit both bonus shots to make it 65-57.
Hills got a layup and then a block on the other end, but Barnes got the putback and did the same on the return trip to make it a 69-59 score. Hills got a three-point play the hard way to cut it to a seven-point lead with 6:49 remaining. Burch had a free throw prior to a Hills fastbreak layup after a blocked shot led to an assist from Henry. With 5:27 on the clock, Ellis hit a three from the right wing to make it 73-64.
Bryant was fouled 13 seconds later, and the Tarleton senior connected on both free throws to cut the lead to seven. Hills then got a steal and a fastbreak layup to make it 73-68. Wilson was then called for his fifth foul at 4:43 to send Corbett to the line for the home team, and the Ram hit two free shots. Corbett then had a three with just over four minutes left in the contest to stretch the lead to 10 (78-68).
Ellis had two free throws to make it a 12-point lead before Henry got a steal on an inbounds pass. He was fouled, and the Texan junior missed the first and made the second to cut the score to 80-69. Bryant went to the line at 1:43 and missed the first and made the second to cut the lead to 10. Barnes then got a layup before Smith got a putback.
Williams had two free throws to make it 84-71 before Bryant hit a deep three with 69 ticks left to cut the lead to nine. Ellis went to the line three seconds later, and he made both shots to make it 86-75. Bryant hit another deep three with 56.9 seconds on the clock. Smith was then called for a foul with 29.7 seconds left, and Ellis hit both shots. A missed Texan bucket led to an Ellis dunk on a fastbreak, but Bryant hit another three with 11.2 on the clock to make the score 90-81 as the Rams ran out the clock to end the game.
Bryant led the Texans with 23 points to tie his career high from Feb. 3, 2007 while Hills (19), Smith (16) and Ogunoye (10) had double figures. Smith's eight rebounds led the Texans.
Tarleton averaged .406 from the floor (28-69), .333 from the arc (9-27) and .667 from the charity stripe (16-24). The Texans outscored the Rams 36-32 in the paint and outrebounded them 41-37.
The Rams were led by Williams with 25 points while Ellis (18), Corbett (12), Webster (12) and Barnes (11) had double digits. Barnes led the home team with 11 rebounds.
ASU averaged .475 from the field (28-59), .545 from the arc (6-11) and .848 from the line (28-33).
The Texans will return to action at the LSC tournament on Wednesday, March 3 at 6 p.m. against the Lions.
