ODESSA, Texas (December 11, 2025) – Seeking its first Lone Star Conference win of the season, The University of Texas Permian Basin men's basketball team never trailed in the game until the final 10 minutes, but in the end, the Falcons fell just short, 50-47, against Texas A&M University-Kingsville on Thursday night in the team's first home conference game of the season inside the Falcon Dome.

Tash Lunday scored the first five points of the game for UTPB (3-6 overall, 0-3 LSC), and then Tristan Lewis put together a nice driving layup cutting through two defenders followed by a four-point play on the very next possession to give UTPB an 11-3 lead five minutes in. Lunday would follow with his second 3-pointer of the game on the next possession to make it a 14-3 start overall for the Falcons while the Javelinas mustered just three points in the first seven and a half minutes of the game.

TAMUK (5-3, 2-1) started just 1-for-11 from the field while UTPB started 50 percent both from the field (5-10) and from three (3-6), but it is not about how you start, it is about how you finish.

Marcus Burnett hit a circus shot from behind the backboard to make it 16-9 Falcons with 9:15 left in the first half. He then helped UTPB close out the half strong with a fastbreak layup with one minute to go before assisting on a 3-pointer by Connor Morris with 30 seconds left to make it an eight-point lead (31-23) for UTPB at the break.

Early in the second half, UTPB got its lead back to 11 points, matching its largest lead of the first half, after a long two-point jumper by Morris and a 3-pointer by Bryceson Burns on back-to-back possessions made it 36-25 less than two minutes in.

However, that is where the good times would end as UTPB was shutout for the next nearly eight and a half minutes while TAMUK scored 12 points in a row to take its first lead of the game (37-36) with 10:24 remaining. UTPB was 0-for-8 from the field, 0-for-5 from three and 0-for-2 from the free throw line with seven turnovers during its scoreless stretch.

Kyle McElroy would answer the Falcons falling behind for the first time with a sweet midrange jumper on the ensuing possession, and from there the lead would change hands three more times.

TAMUK built up a six-point lead (50-44) in the final two minutes, and after a 3-pointer by Burns to cut UTPB's deficit in half with under a minute remaining, the Javelinas turned it over on their inbounds pass, giving UTPB the ball with 40 seconds left and a chance to go for the tie with 40 seconds remaining.

However, after a UTPB timeout, the Javelinas never allowed the Falcons to get a good look from three, and instead a turnover near midcourt was the result with 13 seconds left on the clock. Somehow, TAMUK would leave the door open with a pair of misses from the free throw line with only five seconds left, but Lewis' desperation three from just past midcourt was off target.

UTPB would score just 16 points in the second half and would make just six of its 21 shots (26.09 percent) from the field while going 2-for-10 (20.00 percent) from three in the period.

For the game, UTPB was outscored 26-10 in the paint and 11-2 in second chance points while TAMUK also turned a season-high 22 Falcon turnovers into a 20-14 advantage in points off turnovers.

Burns led UTPB with 11 points while making three 3-pointers and adding six rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals.

Lunday came out on fire and scored eight points in the first five minutes, but all 10 of his points came in the first half. He also added a game-high nine rebounds, five of which came in the second half as he stayed engaged despite not scoring in the final period.

Morris added eight points, Lewis had six points and four assists in his first-career start, and McElroy contributed with eight rebounds.

Nobody scored in double figures for the Javelinas.

It was a tough result for UTPB as the Falcons had their best defensive effort of the season so far, holding their opponent to just 29.8 percent shooting overall, but it would not be enough.

Both teams made 17 field goals, but TAMUK got to the free throw line for 10 more shots (19-9) and outscored UTPB by seven (12-5) at the line.

Next up, UTPB will finish off conference play in 2025 with a home battle game against Texas A&M International University starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 13.