STEPHENVILLE – The Texans continued their home winning streak as they overcame a physical contest with Pittsburg State and walked away with a 57-40 victory Saturday night in Stephenville.

Tarleton entered the game coming off a strong win over Southeastern Oklahoma Friday.  They were unable to get their momentum going early in the game as Pittsburg State jumped to a commanding 9-3 lead after just three minutes of action.

The Texans woke up quickly though, and stormed back to take a 12-11 lead by the 12:07 mark in the first half.  Tarleton took an 11-7 deficit and turned it into a 22-11 lead by using a 15-0 run during an eight minute stretch.

From that point on, the Texans continued to display their dominance on both ends of the floor. 

Tarleton entered the half with a 28-17 lead.  The Texans shot 42.3 percent from the floor over the first 20 minutes and held the Gorillas to 20 percent from the field and 22.2 percent from behind the arc. 

In typical Tarleton fashion, defense stepped up in a major way, forcing 14 first half turnovers from Pitt St.  The Texans also did a good job of maintaining possession offensively, only committing eight turnovers themselves.

Demerius Smith led the way with eight points, while Chris Harrell added six points and Zach Nelson added five.  All three players came off the bench for Tarleton.  Wilson, coming off a double-double Friday, grabbed six rebounds in the first half as well.

The second half got under way with both teams looking to take control of the pace of the game.  It would be the Texans though who were able to get a stronghold on the game and add to their already significant lead.

By the 12:54 mark in the second half, Tarleton managed to push their lead to double digits and never looked back.  The Texans outscored 29-23 in the second half and ended the game with a 17-point victory over Pittsburg State.

Demerius Smith led all scorers with 12 points, while Fabian Wilson and Zach Nelson both had 10 points.  Wilson also recorded his second double-double of the year by adding 12 rebounds to the effort.  Brian Word had a strong game off the bench with five points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists. 

The bench was a big part of Tarleton's success Saturday night, as they combined for 36 points.

Overall, the Texans shot 41.3 percent from the floor and 70 percent from the free throw line.  They also held Pitt St. to a measly 22.2 percent shooting.

“We knew they were going to be very physical,” said Head Coach Lonn Reisman.  “It is a South Central Regional Contest and it was an important early season game.  We weren't quite ready, but we adjusted throughout the game.  We are a young team, but anytime you can hold someone to under 40 points, you are going to be alright.”

Tarleton improves to 2-0 on the year and has just one week rest before hosting another tournament at home.  Next Friday, the Texans host Central Oklahoma and Washburn as part of the Texan Tip-Off Classic.  Both games will be at 7 p.m.

For more information regarding the 2011-12 Tarleton men's basketball season, check out TarletonSports.com.