STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State Men's Basketball fell behind early in the second half and was never able to recover, dropping to Utah Tech, 65-59, on Saturday evening at the EECU Center.
 
The Texans (11-11 overall, 2-7 WAC) fall to Utah Tech (13-11, 6-4) for the second time this season. The final game of the regular season series will be held in Stephenville on Feb. 21.Before the game, Tarleton State hosted Military Appreciation Night with the Corps of Cadets on the court with an American flag as well as delivering the game ball before tip off.
 
Cam McDowell led the Texans in scoring for the sixth time this season with 16 points. The senior shot six-for-14 from the floor including three-for-four from behind the arc. He also grabbed five boards and tallied a pair of steals. Ocypher Owens was the other Texan in double figures tallying 12. Owens shot four-for-10 from the floor and was a perfect four-for-four from the free throw line.
 
Chris Mpaka nearly managed his first double-double of the season with a game-best 10 boards and nine points. He notched six offensive boards, the most by a Texan in a single game this season and tied for the most by a Texan in a WAC game with KiAndre Gaddy who accomplished the feat three times. Off the bench, Andy Sigiscar recorded nine rebounds and six points. DJ Dormu also added eight points while shooting two-of-eight from beyond the arc.
 
The first half was a back-and-forth affair with eight lead changes and six ties. Owens started off the game hot scoring nine-straight Texan points to give the Purple and White an early 8-5 lead. Owens' second basket came from a Jordan Mizell steal giving Owens a wide-open fast break layup opportunity, After a Utah Tech bucket, Owens knocked down a triple to end his nine consecutive Texan points, nine of the first 10.


The Texans jumped out to a six-point advantage via a McDowell triple shortly after to jump up, 13-7. But the Trailblazers answered with an 8-1 burst to regain the lead, 15-14. Tarleton State bounced right back with a 7-0 burst. Owens started the run with a jumper, followed by a Sigiscar wide-open slam dunk. Dormu capped the run with a triple to put the Purple and White back up six, 21-15, at the midpoint of the half.
 
The Trailblazers next four baskets all came from behind the three-point line, to give Utah Tech a 27-26 advantage with just under four minutes in the half. The Texans took the lead back on a 4-0 run with a pair of Owens free throws and a Sigiscar jumper. Utah Tech closed their deficit to one just before the half on a layup before the buzzer went off to send the Texans into the half with a 30-29 lead.
 
After a sequence of turnovers to start the second half, Mpaka turned a block on the defensive end into two points on the offensive side to give the Texans their largest lead of the second half, three, 32-29. The lead went back-and-forth over the next few minutes, with McDowell putting the Texans ahead, 38-37, after a pair of free throws.
 
But it would mark the last lead of the game for the Purple and White. Utah Tech took back the momentum and used a 12-0 run to distance themselves from the Texans. The biggest run of the night gave the Trailblazers their biggest lead of the night, 49-38, with just under 12 minutes to play. The Texans quickly brought the game back within one with a 10-0 run of their own with five coming from the hands of Mpaka and five from Dormu. But Utah Tech ran off nine-straight to expand its lead back to double digits, 58-48 with just over five minutes remaining.
 
In the final five minutes, the Texans brought their deficit down to three, 60-57 with 2:25 to go. But the Texans were unable to make a key shot on their possession and the Trailblazers did. Trailing by five, McDowell drove the lane for two to bring the Purple and White back within three again with 40 ticks left. Needing a stop, the Texan were unable to get it, with Jasuan Holt knocking down a triple to seal the deal with 12 seconds to go. The Trailblazers didn't allowed the Texans to score on their final possession and took their second win of the road trip, 65-59.
 
The Texans shot 34.4 percent from the floor, their second-consecutive game shoot 35 percent or less. Utah Tech shot 50 percent from the floor (25-for-50) and 50 percent from the three-point line (12-for-24). Tarleton State made just three of their 23 three-point attempts, a 13 percent rate. The Texans got the job done at the charity stripe making 14-of-17, 82.4 percent. The Purple and White won the battle of the boards, 39-28, with 17 coming on the offensive end. The Texans won the turnover battle forcing 14 and committing 13.
 
Tarleton State will head back on the road next week starting at California Baptist before heading to Southern Utah on Saturday. The Texans will take on CBU from the Foster Events Center at 9 p.m. CT on Thursday night.