Box Score

EDINBURG – Five Broncs reached double-figures in scoring as the University of Texas-Pan American men's basketball team opened the regular season with an 88-80 victory over the Wayland Baptist University Pioneers, the No. 21 team in the NAIA, on Friday at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
 
Sophomore Janari Joesaar led the Broncs (1-0) with a career-high 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting to go with a career-high 13 rebounds (four offensive) for his first double-double. Joesaar also had career-highs in assists (three), blocks (one) and steals (two). Junior Shaquille Hines scored 15 points with four assists. In his first career regular season game, freshman McAllen-native Moe McDonald scored 14 points on 5-of-5 shooting, including 2-for-2 from behind the arc while hitting both of his free throw attempts. He also had two rebounds, two assists and one steal. In his first regular season action in nearly two years, graduate student Shaun Noriega dropped 13 points while nailing a trio of three-pointers. Junior Andreas Bigum scored 11 points with four rebounds.
 
As a team, the Broncs shot .508 (33-65), including .500 (7-14) from behind the arc.
 
Robert Waters led the Pioneers (3-1) with 20 points while hitting six three-pointers. Royal Crouch finished with 18 points and seven rebounds.
 
The Broncs hit their first three shots while jumping out to a 9-0 lead on a layup by freshman Dan Kimasa, a three-pointer and a layup by Joesaar, and a layup by McDonald.
 
The Pioneers responded with an 8-2 run to pull within three, and then the teams traded baskets, with the Broncs going up 19-13 on a three by junior Everett Osborne. The Pioneers then hit four of their next seven shots to power an 11-3 run and go up 24-22 on a Yaboe Buja layup with 7:43 remaining.
 
The Pioneers went up by two possessions for the first time at 32-28 on a Plamen Hristov three-pointer, but an Osborne jumper sparked a 14-6 run as the Broncs took the lead back at 42-38 on a jumper by Hines early in the second half.
 
The Pioneers took the lead back at 44-43 on a Morris Mitchell jumper at the 16:59 mark, but Joesaar scored 10 points to lead the Broncs on a 23-6 run over the next seven minutes to go up 66-50.
 
A three-pointer by Crouch sparked the Pioneers on a 9-2 run as they pulled within nine. Then, after Noriega hit a three-pointer and a layup to power a 7-2 run, Waters bookended an 8-0 with three-pointers to bring the Pioneers within 75-69 at the 4:58 mark. The Broncs, however, scored the next six points to pull away for the win.
 
The Broncs are back in action on Monday at 7 p.m. when they visit UTSA.

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