Dec. 20, 2006
Box Score
The University of Texas-Pan American men's basketball team remained perfect at the UTPA Fieldhouse as the Broncs came from behind to hand The University of Texas at San Antonio at 69-64 setback on Wednesday (Dec. 20) evening.
The Broncs improved their overall record to 7-5, including 6-0 at the UTPA Fieldhouse, while the Roadrunners fell to 4-7 on the season. With the victory on Wednesday evening, the Broncs have upped their record to 5-2 over Southland Conference opponents.
"This was a huge win for us," said head men's basketball coach Tom Schuberth. "It was a total team effort, and we got some guys really step up for us tonight. I was pleased with our team effort, and I really believe that the crowd once again willed us to victory in the end."
During the first half of action, the Broncs completely dominated the Roadrunners and were able to build their lead to as many as 13 points at 30-17 with 5:34 remaining before halftime following a free throw connection by junior Zach Trader (LaPorte, TX/LaPorte H.S.).
With less than a minute remaining before halftime, Keith Spencer was able to cut into the double-digit lead by the Broncs when he connected on a jumper in the paint with 46 seconds left to take the score to 32-24. It was the first time since the 7:26 mark in the first half that the Roadrunners were able to get within 10 points of the Broncs.
In the first half of action, the Broncs connected on 55.0 percent (13-of-24) of their shots compared to 42.9 percent (11-of-23) for the Roadrunners.
For as hot as the Broncs were in the first half of action, the Roadrunners came out twice as heated in the second half as UTSA opened up the final stage of the game on a 22-3 run to take a 46-35 advantage with 13:25 remaining in the game.
"They really came out in the second half and played well, and we didn't make the necessary adjustments. This wasn't the first time that our guys have faced adversity, and basketball is a game of runs and momentum. They were able to make a big run, but our guys never panicked, and we were able to remain calm and get back into the game," added Schuberth.
The Broncs were able to battle back to within four points at 48-44 with 9:28 remaining in the game after Brian Burrell (Nacogdoches, TX/Nacogdoches H.S.) connected on his third three-pointer of the game. Burrell finished with 11 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in 37 minutes of action for the Broncs.
Less than a minute later, the Broncs would reclaim the lead after Johnathan Chatman (Chicago, IL/Sheridan College) connected on a jumper from the baseline to give UTPA a 49-48 advantage with 8:33 remaining in the contest. Over the course of the next five minutes, the game would remain competitive and tightly-played as the scoreboard featured four ties and three lead changes.
The Broncs were able to regain control of the scoreboard at the 2:48 mark following a huge three-pointer off of the hands of junior Dexter Shankle (Katy, TX/James E. Taylor H.S.), which allowed UTPA to take a 61-58 advantage. Down the stretch, the Broncs were able to convert on 4-of-5 free throw attempts en route to securing the 69-64 home victory.
Colin Lien (Waterloo, IA/Southeastern C.C.) finished with a team-high 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-9 from the charity stripe, to go along with six rebounds. UTPA point guard Paul Stoll (Lansing, MI/Lansing C.C.) added 12 points, seven assists, four steals and three rebounds despite playing 27 minutes of action due to foul trouble.
Chatman added 11 points for the Broncs, including a trio of three-pointers, in 15 minutes of action, and Kano Edwards (Bridgeport, CT/Western Nebraska C.C.) played big for the Broncs both offensive and defensive as he finished with six points and two blocked shots in 11 minutes of action.
"I believe that we have a Hero of the Game in each contest, and tonight, that award had to go to Kano. He really stepped in and gave us huge minutes in the second half on both sides of the floor. He really made some great plays defensively, and gave us a lot of energy and stayed focus throughout the entire game," added Schuberth.
The Broncs will be back in action at the University of Central Florida Holiday Classic in Orlando, FL, on December 29th when they open up action against James Madison University.
UTPA Sports Information
