- Box Score
SAN ANTONIO – The No. 3 Texans took on Incarnate Word in San Antonio Saturday afternoon and lost for just the second time this year, 62-51.
Tarleton knew it would be tough to run the table in such a deep Lone Star Conference and this weekend, the Cardinals wanted it more.
UIW scored the initial bucket to start the game, but the Texans responded with a 9-0 run heading into the first media timeout. Fabian Wilson contributed six of those first nine points, while Chris Harrell added a three pointer.
Next it was UIW's turn to put a scoring stretch together and the Cardinals cut Tarleton's lead to just three at 15-13 with 12:05 on the clock.
The Texans gave up the lead at the midway point in the first half as UIW pulled ahead 17-15.
Tarleton and the Cardinals proceeded to trade the lead back and forth over the next few minutes, with neither team wanting to give it up.
UIW put some possessions together late that put Tarleton on their heels, but the Texans battled with their strength on the defensive end and kept it close throughout.
The Texans got the lead back at 23-20 with 6:56 left in the half. Unfortunately for Tarleton, they would only score three more points the rest of the half as the offense became stagnant.
The Cardinals capitalized on the Texans' cold shooting and took the lead back for the final five minutes of the first half.
Going into the break, Tarleton found themselves trailing 32-36. It marked just the third time this season that the Texans went into the locker room down at the half.
Through the first 20 minutes of play, Tarleton shot 47.8 percent from the floor, but committed eight turnovers. The Cardinals shot 54.2 percent from the field, which is unheard of against the No. 1 defense in the nation.
Chris Harrell led the Texans in scoring with seven points, while Fabian Wilson added six points. Shedrick Haynes dished out four assists and Brian Word recorded a block and two steals.
UIW was led by Chris Johnson's 12 points. Tarleton did manage to out-rebound the Cardinals in the first half though.
Coming out of the locker room, Head Coach Lonn Reisman's troops looked focused and determined. They would need a mistake-free second half in order to get back the momentum in the game.
Tarleton narrowed the lead to four at 34-30 with 17:16 on the clock thanks to a pair of Chris Harrell free throws.
UIW once again capitalized on Tarleton turnovers and pushed the lead back to eight by the first media timeout of the second half.
Back-to-back baskets by Fabian Wilson cut Tarleton's deficit to just three points, 40-37, as the Texans began to get consistency on the offensive end of the floor.
Neither time could score over the next few minutes as the defenses stepped up for both teams.
With 11:06 to go, Tarleton trailed 44-37 as precious time ticked away.
The Texans continued to chip away at the margin, but couldn't quite gather enough consecutive buckets to change the pace of the game entirely.
Under seven minutes remained in the game and Tarleton faced a 50-43 deficit. The Texans needed to do something in a hurry, but it was the Cardinals who got positive play and expanded their lead to 11 points.
Haynes nailed a big three at the 4:10 mark to move the margin back to eight, 56-48. But once again, UIW managed to score in bunches and made it a 12-point contest.
In the end, the Texans' comeback attempt came up just short and Tarleton fell for just the second time this season, 62-51.
Turnovers and missed opportunities were the story for the Texans, who will return home and use Saturday's contest as a learning experience.
This is the first loss to Incarnate Word for Tarleton since the 2001-02 season.
Overall, the Texans shot 41.7 percent in the game and 25 percent from behind the arc. Incarnate Word hit 48.9 percent of their shots and overcame a 15.4 three-point percentage in the contest.
Haynes led Tarleton with 14 points and four assists, while Fabian Wilson and Chris Harrell both added 13 points. Wilson also managed to grab nine rebounds for the Texans.
Tarleton falls to 20-2 on the year and picks up their first LSC loss (12-1).
Tarleton will have a week off before hosting Arlington Baptist next Saturday for a non-conference meeting in Wisdom Gym.
For more information regarding the 2011-12 Tarleton men's basketball season, check out TarletonSports.com.
