box score
LAREDO – The University of Texas of the Permian Basin men's basketball team made 12-of-13 free throws in the final seven minutes of the game that proved to be the difference as the Falcons took a 74-65 win over Johnson & Wales.
The Wildcats made more field goals (25-23), pulled down more rebounds (41-35) and had a better shooting percentage from the field (44.6 percent to 41.1 percent), but UTPB drained 22-of-32 free throws which proved to be the difference as it improved to 4-5 on the year and have now won three-straight.
Austin Williams converted 7-of-8 free throws and was key down the stretch as he made seven of the teams 12 free throws in the final seven minutes of action. He would finish with nine points and was one of six players with six-or-more points in the contest. Erik Martin led the way with 13 points, while Louis Crane and Elijah Jordan had 12 and 10 points respectively.
For the second-straight game, the Falcons got a solid performance from their bench as 30 points came from the non-starters.
Ironically, despite trailing in every offensive statistical category, the Falcons led nearly the entire game except for the first 4:30 of the game. Martin threw down a dunk on a fast break at the 15:32 mark to give UTPB a 7-5 lead which it would not relinquish. The Falcons used an 8-2 run at the end of the first half to take a 32-22 lead, their largest of the period. They would eventually go into the locker room with a 33-24 advantage.
The scoring surge would continue in the second half for the Falcons as they would eventually lead 48-34, their largest of the game, after Ke'Andre Derrick, who finished with nine points, made a jumper with 15:33 to go.
The double-digit lead would be erased as the Wildcats went on a 20-7 run after Derrick's bucket to trail 55-54 with 7:22 to go. The Falcons, who are shooting 75 percent from the free throw line as a team for the season, continued that trend the rest of the way, missing just one freebie to help seal the victory.
UTPB will remain on the road as it travels to Plainview to take on Wayland Baptist on Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.
