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For Immediate
Release: November 24, 2001 BRONCS
DOWN TEXAS SOUTHERN, 96-63
EDINBURG,
TX–With a chance to do something they hadn’t done in 30 years, the
University of Texas-Pan American basketball team got things going early
in their game against Texas Southern Saturday night.
UTPA scored
eight of the game’s first ten points, grabbed a 21-point lead midway
through the first half, and went on to a 96-63 victory against Texas
Southern at the UTPA Fieldhouse. The victory
left the Broncs at 4-0 for the first time in a season since the 1971-72
season, when they began the season by winning their first four games.
That team, coached by Sam Williams, finished the year at 17-7. After Steve
Hoyer’s layup gave the Tigers the first lead of the game off the
opening tip, the broncs came right back. Senior guard Mire Chatman
(Garland, TX/South Garland HS/Southwestern Christian JC) hit a
three-pointer, senior forward Joey Tate (San Antonio, TX/Taft HS/Temple
JC) canned a layup, and Chatman hit a layup and another trey to ignite
the Broncs’ attack. UTPA led,
34-13 with 9:08 to play in the first half, then incrased their lead to
53-25 at intermission. Chatman made three of four shots from three-point
range as the Bronds made eight of 13 from beyond the arc before
intermission. Senior
forward Marcus Quinn (Midwest City, OK/Choctaw HS/Eastern Oklahoma
State) came off the bench to lead all scorers with 22 points. He made
eight of nine shots from the field, and grabbed nine rebounds. Chatman
finished with 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while junior
forward Andrius Sakalys (Vilnius, Lithuania/M.Dauksos HS/Eastern
Oklahoma State) had 14 points. The Broncs made 56.9 per cent of their
shots from the field, limited the Tigers to just 39.6 per cent,
outrebounded TSU, 40-26, and committed just 15 turnovers while
registering 26 assists. Ra’ Kim
Hollis scored 20 points to lead Texas Southern, Hoyer contributed 14,
and Jamaal Clark had 12. :This
was a good win for us,” said UTPA Head Coach Bob Hoffman. “Marcus
Quinn played very well. He showed the effects of his increased use of
weights, and he played a more physical game. (Junior forward) Terrell
Hill (Carnegie, OK/Carnegie HS/Seward County CC) also played well,
although he’s still a little banged up. We played well at both ends of
the floor. We did a good job hitting threes, and I really liked the way
we were passing the ball. Andrius Sakalys and Joey Tate played well.
They do a good job of doing the things that no one wants to do, and we
did a great job of finishing.”
The Broncs
improved to 4-0 with the victory, while TSU dropped to 0-2. UTPA will
return to action when they visit Northern Iowa Thursday night in the
first of four consecutive road games. MBBTEXASSOUTHERN112401 |