STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State Men's Basketball notched their first win at the EECU Center with a 61-50 victory over East Texas A&M on Saturday evening.
The Texans evened their exhibition slate to 1-1 with the victory over the Lions. The Texans will open the season against SMU on Nov. 3. The Lions will host UT Dallas in their final exhibition on Oct. 29.
Cam McDowell led the Texans with 18 points and team-best two three-pointers. The senior posted a team-high nine boards all coming off the defensive glass. He also added two steals, a block and an assist.
In total three Texans scored in double figures.
Leroy Kelly IV notched 12 and
DJ Dormu added 10 while playing all 40 minutes. Kelly IV also led the team with four takeaways.
Chris Mpaka and
Andy Sigiscar tallied two blocks apiece and Mpaka added eight boards. Kaia Issac posted five offensive rebounds and dished our four assists.
The Texans broke out to a 35-21 advantage in the first half. McDowell led the way with 14 points in the first 20 minutes. The senior made five of his six shots and was a perfect two-for-two from deep. As a squad the Texans shot 56.0 percent converting on 14 of their 25 shots. Tarleton State out-rebounded the Lions, 26-11 in the first half.
In the second half, the Texans led by as many as 24. The Texans executed a 9-0 run to take a 24-point lead with 6:16 remaining. The Lions responded with an 11-0 run of their own, to cut the deficit to 13, 56-43. Kelly IV scored the final three points of the contest at the free throw line to give the Texans a 61-50 victory.
The Texans led the battle of the boards, 44-26. The Lions led the turnover battle forcing 22 turnovers and committing 19. Tarleton State grabbed 15 steals, while East Texas A&M totaled 13. The Purple and White shot 24-for-52 from the field, a 46.2 percent rate. The Texans made four triples shooting at a 26.7 percent rate. The Texans allowed ETAMU to shoot 31.4 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from three-point land.
Tarleton State will have nine days to prepare for SMU after they take on the Lions. The Texans will open the regular season for the second consecutive season on the road at SMU in the Moody Coliseum. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. and will be aired on ACCXN and ESPN+.
