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BOX SCORE
HOUSTON, Texas – Despite a furious second half rally, the University of Texas-Pan American men's basketball team could not escape from a 19 point first half hole, as they dropped Saturday night's Great West Conference match-up to Houston Baptist 81-71 at Sharp Gymnasium. The loss stretches UTPA's losing streak to 11 games and ends HBU's 10 game losing skid.
The Broncs (3-17, 0-3 GWC) fell victim to a hot start from HBU. The Huskies (2-16, 1-2) began the game on a 6-0 run. HBU's Andrew Gonzalez, the leading scorer in the GWC, got off to a torrid start on Saturday scoring 12 of the Huskies first 15 points including three from beyond the three-point arc. Gonzalez's jumper with 14:12 remaining gave HBU a 15-6 lead. The Broncs would fall behind by 13 a few minutes later as Fred Hinnenkamp hit a jumper to give HBU A 22-9 led with just under 10 minutes to play until the intermission.
Brandon Provost scored four straight points and pulled the Broncs back within nine at 22-13 with 8:51 to play in the period. Later in the half the Huskies ran off a 7-0 run and took a 41-22 lead, at 19 points it was their largest lead of the game at the time. The Huskies led by 19 at halftime as well at 48-29. The Huskies shot 9-14 (64%) from beyond the arc in the first half and forced 14 UTPA turnovers.
The second half featured another hot start, but this time it was Texas-Pan American that turned up the heat. The Broncs began the second period play on an 11-2 run to cut the HBU deficit to 10 at 50-40. The Broncs would get it to seven after Jared Maree nailed a triple at the 14:14 mark to make the score 55-48 HBU. The Broncs pulled within six with 9:20 play when Matt Mierzycki hit a lay-up to make the score 65-59 HBU.
The Huskies responded with a 7-0 run and once again led by 13 after Shawn Echols put in a lay-up to make the score 72-59 HBU. The Broncs would not quit, Mierzycki's three-point play with 2:00 to play, capped off a 10-2 run and pulled the Broncs to within five at 74-69. UTPA would not pull any closer. Ben Daniels hit a jumper in the right corner near the end of the shot clock, and 1:15 remaining in the game, after a hard nosed defensive push by UTPA, to virtually seal it for the Huskies. HBU scored the final five points and won their third straight meeting over UTPA.
Provost put up career numbers for the second straight outing for the Broncs. Provost led UTPA with a career best 22 points, including 14 in the second half, in 35 minutes of action. Maree scored in double figures for the first time since November, pouring in 12, with two steals defensively. Aaron Urbanus and Julius Hearn each scored nine. Mierzycki scored seven and a team high eight rebounds. The Broncs shot 39% from beyond the arc and committed 21 turnovers, but just seven in the second half.
Gonzalez was a superstar on Saturday for HBU, he poured in a career high 33 points, including six three pointers to lead the Huskies. Gonzalez also hauled in six rebounds. Echols added 13 with a team-high five assists. Michael Moss added 12 with five boards, and Daniels scored 10 with a team best seven boards. The Huskies poured in 12 three-pointers on Saturday, shooting 48% from beyond the arc for the game.
The season long seven game road trip for UTPA continues next Thursday as the Broncs travel to face the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota. Tip-off for Thursday is scheduled for 8:00 PM in Grand Forks, ND.
