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For Immediate Release: January 2, 2002 AUSTIN, TX–The
University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball team gave it all
they had against Texas Wednesday evening. But the Longhorns had a little
too much for UTPA, and they ended the Broncs’ eight-game winning
streak with an 81-69 victory at the Frank Erwin Center. UT got off to a quick start,
scoring 15 of the game’s first 18 points before the Broncs came back.
UTPA got consecutive three-pointers from junior guard Kevin Mitchell
(Copperas Cove, TX/Copperas Cove HS/McLennan CC) and sophomore guard
Nick Traylor (Oklahoma City, OK/Putnam City HS/Northwestern Oklahoma
State) to cut the Longhorns’ advantage to 26-18 midway through the
first half. UT countered, scoring the next
11 points to open up a 37-18 lead before the Broncs called time out.
UTPA junior forward Jon Nubine (Oklahoma City, OK/Putnam City North
HS/Carl Albert JC) made consecutive three-pointers late in the first
half before two baskets just before halftime staked the Longhorns to a
48-30 halftime lead. Texas built a 25-point lead in
the second half before the Broncs came back. Senior forward Marcus Quinn
(Midwest City, OK/Choctaw HS/Eastern Oklahoma State) and Mitchell
connected on jumpers as UTPA used an 8-0 run to make it 62-45, UT,
midway through the second half. A pair of jumpers by junior forward
Terrell Hill (Carnegie, OK/Carnegie HS/Seward County CC) and another
three-pointer by Nubine keyed another 8-0 run late in the second half
that brought the Broncs within 12 points with less than two minutes
remaining. “We battled and continued to
work hard, and there’s a lot to be learned from that,” said UTPA
Head Coach Bob Hoffman. “Our team has a lot of character, and
they’re going to give you all they’ve got. Texas got a lot of
offensive boards and easy putbacks in the first half. We didn’t do as
good a job in the first have as I would have liked, but Texas had a lot
to do with that, they have great quickness and great athletes. I think
that we were so anxious to play well that we didn’t just relax and
play, and, by the time we were able to do that, there was too much
separation.” UTPA made 59.3 per cent of
their shots in the second half, connecting on 16 of 27 shots from the
floor and outscoring the Longhorns, 39-33. However, UT outrebounded the
Broncs, 40-25, grabbing 17 offensive boards. Senior guard Mire Chatman
(Garland, TX/South Garland HS/Southwestern Christian JC) led all scorers
with 22 points, and added five assists and six steals. Junior forward
Andrius Sakalys (Vilnius, Lithuania/M.Dauksos HS/Eastern Oklahoma State)
added 14 points. Quinn led the Broncs with seven rebounds. James Thomas led UT with 19
points and 14 rebounds. T.J. Ford and Brian Boddicker added 14 points
each, and Ford, the nation’s leader in assists, had eight. The Broncs dropped to 13-4 with
the defeat, while Texas improved to 8-4. UTPA will return to action when
they visit Southwest Texas State next Tuesday evening. MBBTEXAS010202 |