UT Permian Basin junior guard Jordan Horn started out his home career as a Falcon with a bang Friday night, helping lead UTPB to a 96-85 victory over Western Colorado State as part of the LSC-RMAC Conference Challenge in Odessa.

Horn hit five 3's on the night and led all scorers in the game with 27 points in his fourth game as a Falcon. UTPB was excited to be back on its home court after opening the 2019-20 season last weekend at the Division II Kick Off with three games in three days in Orange, Calif.

"It was great playing at home and I thought the crowd was great!" said Head Coach Josh Newman. I thought the energy level and overall atmosphere was fantastic all night."

UTPB ran out to a 16-point, 53-37 lead at halftime behind 58 percent shooting from the field, hitting 10 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes, and limiting the Mountaineers to 40 percent combined shooting in the first half. 

The large advantage allowed the Falcons to weather a push by Western Colorado as the Mountaineers heated up from 3-point range after the half. Wester Colorado cut the advantage in half over the first five minutes and got as close as seven points with 14 minutes remaining before an 11-point run by the Falcons pushed the lead back out to 18 points.

"We obviously can score and score in bunches, but we need to clean up and pay more attention to our defensive assignments," noted Newman. "I'm anxious to see this team grow and mature throughout the season."

Horn ended the night 10-17 from the field, hitting 5-11 from three-point range with five assists and his 27 points. 

Pat Dembley added 17 points and five assists, hitting three of his six attempts from the 3-point line. 

Carson Newsome had a team-high six assists to go with his 15 points on 7-10 from the field.

Miles Washington was a point short of a double double, scoring nine points with a team-high 10 rebounds.

Fermandez Jones added eight points off the bench, while Adam Rivera had six points and six boards in a reserve role.

The Falcons remain home Saturday afternoon, hosting Adams State to close out weekend action. Tip off is set for 3 p.m. and all admission for fans is free. Fans that can't attend Saturday's game can also watch free-of-charge on the Lone Star Conference Network.