Patriots Complete Sweep of UTD; Extend Streak to Four
February 4, 2008

The University of Texas at Tyler men’s basketball team completed the season sweep of Texas-Dallas, by downing the Comets, 63-58, on Monday night at the Herrington Patriot Center in American Southwest Conference Eastern Division action. The Patriots have now won four games in a row, tying the longest winning streak in program history.

In the first half, UT Dallas grabbed the early lead and held onto it for much of the first period, leading by as many five. But, it would be the Patriots who would take momentum into halftime by going on a 19-5 run to end the stanza. At the break, UT Tyler led 27-18.

In the second half, the Patriots controlled the momentum, leading for the entire half and building the lead to as many as 15. In the last two and half minutes of the game UT Dallas went on a 14-6 run, but it was too little, too late and UT Tyler picked up its 10th win of the season. The win marked the third time in three games that the Patriots shot 50 percent or better from the floor. UT Tyler is 6-0 on the year when it shoots at or above the 50 percent mark.

Junior Anthony Reese (Longview, Texas) and senior Patrick Branche (Houston, Texas) led the Patriots in scoring with 13 points each, while Reese also pulled down a game-high eight rebounds. Junior Larry Ware (San Antonio, Texas) and senior Brandon Weasby (Houston, Texas) rounded out the four UT players in double-digits with 11 and 10, respectively. Junior Ernie Lowery (Spring, Texas) led the Comets with a game-high 18 points.

The win lifts the Patriots to 10-10 on the year and 9-6 in the ASC East, while UT Dallas falls to 14-6 overall and 10-5 in league play. UT Tyler now sits in third place in the ASC East, just one game behind the second-place Comets. The Patriots are just one and a half games out of first place in the division, a position currently held by Mississippi College.

UT Tyler travels to Clarksville, Ark., on Thursday to take on Ozarks at 7:30 p.m.

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