Box Score

EDINBURG – Sophomore Janari Joesaar scored a career-high 29 points to lead the University of Texas-Pan American Broncs men's basketball team to a 66-60 victory over the Lamar University Cardinals on Saturday at the UTPA Fieldhouse.
 
The Broncs (5-4) are now 3-0 at home this season.
 
Joesaar went 9-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-6 from behind the arc, plus 8-of-14 from the line with six rebounds (five offensive), two assists, two blocks and one steal. Senior Shaquille Boga also reached double-figures, scoring a season-high 19 points on 6-of-12 shooting, including 2-of-4 from behind the arc, plus 5-of-8 from the line, with four rebounds, five assists and three steals. Freshman Elijah Watson made his first-career start, dishing out a career-high six assists while committing just one turnover, grabbing a career-high five rebounds, and hitting both of his shots for four points.
 
Donovan Ross led the Cardinals (2-6) with 17 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Tyran de Lattibeaudiere scored 14 points with seven rebounds and three blocks.
 
Joesaar hit four of his first five shots, including a pair of threes, while propelling the Broncs to a 10-4 lead in the opening six and a half minutes. The Broncs led by as many as 10 in the first half at 20-10 with 7:51 remaining after a pair of free throws by junior Everett Osborne.
 
That's when the Cardinals made their move, going on a 12-1 run to go up 22-21 on a Marcus Owens three-pointer with 1:52 left. It was the Cardinals' first three in nine attempts and their only one in their first 15 attempts.
 
Joesaar then scored five-straight points and Osborne nailed a three just before the buzzer as the Broncs went ahead 29-22.
 
The Broncs and Cardinals traded baskets early in the second half, but with the lead at 33-31 in the opening minutes, Watson hit a layup to spark a 14-3 run as the Broncs took their largest lead of the game at 47-34.
 
Dontavious Sears hit a layup as the Cardinals responded with a 15-3 run to pull within 50-49. The Cardinals pulled within one twice more, including 53-52, but Boga nailed a three and freshman Dan Kimasa hit a pair of free throws to make it 58-52. After Spears hit a three, a Watson layup sparked an 8-2 run as the Broncs pulled away for the win.
 
The Broncs kick-off a five-game road trip on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at St. Louis. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest.

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