UT Permian Basin senior
Pat Dembley scored the third-most points in school history and set a home scoring record Saturday night as the Falcons defeated Western New Mexico 104-97 in overtime in Odessa in UTPB's Lone Star Conference opener.
Dembley scored 42 points against the Mustangs, the highest single-game total by an individual in the Lone Star Conference so far this season.
Dembley wasn't the only one putting up video game numbers.
Carson Newsome added 28 points on 8-12 shooting for the third-highest scoring game by a Falcon this year.
UTPB trailed 50-42 at halftime and by as many as nine in the second half and as much as seven points with just under seven minutes remaining in regulation. Newsome and Dembley scored on back-to-back possessions to make it a two-point game, and a layup from
Donoven Carlisle tied it at 75-75 with 5:32 remaining.
Dembley helped give UTPB the lead with a pair at the line at the 4:05 mark, but Western rallied to go back on top by a point.
The Falcons wouldn't lead again until inside a minute remaining when a three-pointer by
Elvin Rodriguez from the corner put UTPB on top 87-86. Elijah Holifield sunk a pair at the line to swap the lead, but Dembley evened it late with one at the charity stripe. Western had a couple of chances at the buzzer fall short as the game went to overtime.
Overtime belonged to the Falcons as Newsome hit a par of free throws and a layup and two at the line from Rodriguez helped the Falcons to a 94-88 advantage.
Western New Mexico closed within a point at 94-93 with two and a half minutes remaining, but the Falcons responded with a layup and two free throws by Dembley to go back ahead by five with 57 seconds remaining.
Dembley answered a layup from Tony Avalos with a basket of his own, and converted on a pair of free throws for an insurmountable seven point lead, 102-95, with 13 seconds remaining.
Dembley converted on half of his 3-point attempts, sinking five long-range shots on 10 attempts while also hitting 11-13 at the free throw line.
Rodriguez added 15 points on 5-7 shooting while he sunk all four of his free throws in his first start of the season.
Adam Rivera added nine points and a team-high 12 rebounds in also his first start of 2019-20.
UTPB is back at home next week, taking on McMurry Tuesday night in non-conference action. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
