box score

When playing the first place team in the league, no lead is ever safe and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin men's basketball team found that out first had as the Falcons edged out St. Mary's 69-65.

UTPB held a 15-point lead with 5:32 to go, but would go scoreless over the next four minutes in which the Rattlers took full advantage, using a 13-0 run to pull within two (62-60) after D.J. Castro made one of his four three-pointers on the night. Erik Martin finally stopped the bleeding for the Falcons by answering with a three-pointer of his own with 1:17 to play to give them a 65-60 edge. He would go on to finish with 15 points, four rebounds and blocked a career-high six shots.

Castro would close the gap once again after converting and acrobatic shot in the lane to pull the Rattlers within four with (66-62) with 16 seconds to play. After two a pair of made free throws by Jamal Holden Castro once again gave the Rattlers life by hitting another three-pointer with nine seconds to play making it 68-65 Falcons. Holden would put the icing on the cake after making the back end of a pair of free throws with seven seconds to go.

The Falcons couldn't have started any better than their 12-2 lead less than five minutes into the game. During that span, they shot a scorching 88 percent from the field, while taking advantage of five Rattler turnovers. UTPB would eventually take a 27-9 lead with 9:54 to go after Dwayne Soders hit a 15-foot baseline jumper for two of his team-high 18 points on the night. He went 8-for-8 from the field before missing his first shot and eventually hit 9-of-13 from the field.

UTPB would keep a double-digit lead the rest and eventually took a commanding 40-27 advantage into the locker room.

Josh Orta nailed a three-pointer 17 seconds into the second half to pull the Rattlers within 10, but the Falcons used a 17-10 run to lead 57-40 with 8:35 to go after Holden hit a 10-footer for two of his eight points. He led all players with seven assists while committing just two turnovers.

St. Mary's slowly but surely crept back into the game slicing into the Falcon lead and eventually pulled within single digits when Orta made a layup to make it 62-54 with 2:47 to go.

The Falcons evened their record at 10-10 on the year and improved to 4-3 in the Heartland Conference. They will try to stay on the winning track when A&M International comes to Odessa on Saturday for a 4:30 tipoff.