STEPHENVILLE – Coach Lonn Reisman has expressed how this is the toughest schedule Tarleton has played in years.
 
Tonight didn't get any easier, but the No. 2-ranked Texans continue to prove why they are one of the nation's elite as they were able to slow down a high-scoring Delta State offense for an 80-71 win on Wednesday night.
 
Led by EJ Reed's career-high 27 points and 10 rebounds, the Texans (3-0) got off to a hot start and built a 9-2 lead with Reed scoring the first five points of the game.
 
It's the 10^th time in 11 seasons that Tarleton has started the season 3-0.
 
Delta State (2-1) came in averaging 82 points per game and showed they could score in a hurry with the 3-pointer. The Statesmen made it a one-point game at 12-11 with 12:01 left in the first half behind three straight 3's.
 
Tarleton went on a 12-2 run led by Charles Hill's nine points during the three-minute stretch to increase the Texans' lead to 24-13. Hill scored 15 of his 17 points in the first half and added six rebounds for the Texans.
 
Tarleton shot 48 percent in the first half and went into the locker room with a 38-20 lead.
 
Michael Hardge's jumper to open the second half gave Tarleton its biggest lead of the game at 40-20. The Statesmen, however, shot 60 percent in the second half and made 11-of-17 three-pointers to work the deficit back to single digits.
 
Delta State, who is ranked as high as No. 11 in the Division II Bulletin poll, made it a 47-39 game when Reed, the reigning Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week, took over on the offensive end.
 
Reed scored the next nine Tarleton points to build another double-digit lead at 54-39 with 11:16 left in the half.
 
Looking to put the game away and give Tarleton its 32 straight non-conference home win, Reed came up with a steal and lobbed a pass to Hardge who finished with a two-handed slam for a 66-53 lead with 4:54 left. Hardge added 18 points for Tarleton.
 
In addition to Reed's second double-double in three games, the senior added three steals and a pair of blocks for Tarleton.
 
Tarleton would score its next six points from the free-throw line where they went 26-of-36 for the game to secure the win. The Texans never trailed in the game for the first time all season.
 
Nosa Ebomwonyi displayed last year how he was a lock-down defender and tonight was no exception. The sophomore guard had the task of guarding Devin Schmidt, who came in averaging 26.5 points per game. Although Schmidt reached his average (31 points), Ebomwonyi and the Texans' swarming defense frustrated Schmidt and held him to only six first-half points.
 
The Texans forced 17 Delta State turnovers and turned it into 24 points. Tarleton also had 12 offensive rebounds – the second straight game with 10 or more offensive boards – and had 15 second-chance points.
 
Tarleton got a boost off the bench from junior forward Xavier Smith, who scored five points and five rebounds with two blocks. Malcolm Hamilton had seven points and a season-high four assists.
 
Tarleton will take on Bacone on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. as the Texans will unveil their 2014-15 NCAA Division II Final Four banner before the game.