UTT

UT Tyler produced one of the top-10 single-game scoring performances in program history while tying the program’s single-game steals record to pick up its first victory of the season, a 106-67 non-conference win over Dallas Christian College Friday night at the Herrington Patriot Center.

Darius Alford led the way, coming up with a game-high eight steals to finish just one steal away from the program’s individual single-game record, and he also led all scorers with 16 points to pace a group of six Patriots who scored in double figures.

The Patriot’s 106-point scoring output tied for seventh on the program’s all-time single-game scoring list, and UT Tyler led by as many as 50 points with less than five minutes to play.

With the victory, UT Tyler improves to 1-2 with a return to Lone Star Conference play looming two weeks away. The game was considered an exhibition game for Dallas Christian, which has a 2-1 record on the year along with 10 exhibition games so far.

“It was good to put one in the left column, because our guys are working hard to play better,” Patriots coach Louis Wilson said. “ We have a long way to go, but it was certainly good to play so many guys so many minutes in this one. We are suffering from not having preseason games this year, so we have to work out our issues on the fly. After taking the next week off, we will hopefully get some injured players back as we head into the guts of our schedule in January. Hopefully, our excessive gift giving in the form of turnovers will abate after the holidays, because until it does, playing better will be difficult.”

Soloman Thomas came off the bench to produce 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. Micah Fuller added 13 points, and Jalen Davis and DJ Jones contributed 11 points each off the bench. Da’Zhon Wyche scored 10 points.

The Patriots next play host to Lubbock Christian on Jan. 2.

Patriot women fall

to SFA in exhibition

NACOGDOCHES — UT Tyler got another important game of experience under its belt with its second exhibition game of the 2020-21 campaign, falling to Stephen F. Austin, 85-43, Saturday afternoon.

The Patriots finished the game by outscoring SFA, 17-11, in the fourth quarter, as Josephine Elliott scored a game-high 12 points while Azaria Reed added 10 points.

Marissa Banfield led SFA with a game-high 12 points, generating all of her scoring from beyond the three-point arc on 4-of-9 three-point shooting.

The Ladyjacks had two more double-digit scorers, as Zya Nugent added 11 points while Avery Brittingham came off the bench to score 10 points to go with a game-high eight rebounds.

The contest was UT Tyler’s second exhibition game of the season, and the Patriots begin Lone Star Conference play after the New Year when it hosts Lubbock Christian for a pair of games Jan. 2-3.