UT Permian Basin Men's Basketball celebrated the holiday season Saturday afternoon by collecting over 3,200 toys for local children as part of the team's Second Annual Toy Toss Game against Sul Ross.

The packed gym full of fans threw all of their toys onto the court when Pat Dembley hit a three-pointer for the team's first points of the afternoon, 36 seconds into the contest. 

"Today is a very special day for our team," said Head Coach Josh Newman. "It's amazing to see the community come together for a great cause to make a difference in the Permian Basin. This year is the 10th anniversary of our original Toy Toss. We wanted to create an event that had the power to change lives and promote the gift of giving. 10 years later, after eight years at UAFS and two at UTPB, I'm proud to say we've collected over 43,000 toys! I want to personally thank the parents, students, fans, and most importantly the children for helping to make the Toy Toss a success!"

UT Permian Basin had to deal with a hot-shooting Sul Ross in the first half. The Lobos came out on fire from deep, hitting 10-of-19 from beyond the 3-point line.

The Falcons connected on 5-9 from 3-point range while also shooting 57 percent from the field, and they closed out the first half on a 7-0 run over the final two minuets behind five points from Elvin Rodriguez and a buzzer-beating basket from Miles Washington.

UTPB turned up the intensity on both sides in the second half. The Falcons held Sul Ross to just eight field goals on 22 percent shooting and three 3-pointers while shooting 54 percent themselves on offense, led by nine points each from Pat Dembley and Elvin Rodriguez.  The Falcons pulled away in the second half for the 96-72 victory.

Dembley came close to a triple-double finishing with a game-high 24 points, 10 rebounds and assists, while Rodriguez had a season-high 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting in a starting role for UTPB.

BJ Hollis led the Lobos with 21 points, hitting five three-pointers on the day for Sul Ross.

UTPB is back next week, returning to Lone Star Conference play next Saturday against Cameron at 4 p.m. in Odessa.