COLLEGE BASKETBALL: Second-half scoring run proves costly for Falcons

What started off as a close battle escalated into a one-sided game quickly for the UTPB basketball team against No. 9 Lubbock Christian.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, it did not swing in their favor as a second-half run proved to be the difference as the Chaparrals pulled away for a 93-58 victory in Lone Star Conference play Friday at the Falcon Dome.

UTPB (8-8 overall, 7-8 Lone Star Conference) trailed 39-32 after the first 20 minutes before Lubbock Christian seized control of the game over the span of eight minutes with a 32-7 run.

Trevion Lamar led the Falcons with 11 points while Jay Workman added nine but it was not enough to keep pace with Lubbock Christian’s torrid shooting pace. The Chaparrals shot 61.3 percent from the field in the second half, including going 11 of 16 from 3-point range.  

“It was a multitude of things,” UTPB head coach Josh Newman said. “You look at the first half and it’s a five-point game at one point and I didn’t think we played exceptionally well to be honest. But you come out at halftime and unfortunately there’s two guys who aren’t on the floor anymore and it’s hard to deal with from an emotional and physical standpoint.”

Newman was referring to guards Zack Selvage and Jordan Horn, who both suffered sprained ankles in the first half.  The duo had eight points each before being limited in the second half. Luka Juricki also was dealing with a bad ankle as well to make things even more difficult for UTPB.

The Falcons did get off to a good start by scoring the first six points. That was before the Chaparrals answered with a 12-2 run of their own to take the lead they would not relinquish.

Lubbock Christian (15-0, 13-0) pushed the lead to as much as 11 points at 24-13 with a 3-pointer from Parker Hicks, who led the team with a game-high 21 points and was one of five Chaparrals to finish in double figures.

UTPB kept pace into the second half before Lubbock Christian’s Jalen Brattain started the scoring flurry with a 3-pointer with 14:21 left in the second half to make it 50-42.

The Chaps kept the barrage going, making 9-of-10 3-pointers as part of the run. Brattain finished with 16 points and Aamer Muhammad had 19 as the two combined to make nine of LCU’s 14 3-pointers in the game.

Lloyd Daniels and Rowan McKenzie each had 11 points for the Chaparrals.

“I thought we showed a lot of resolve,” Lubbock Christian head coach Todd Duncan said. “I know UTPB is playing with some men down and they’re making it hard on us. I just told our guys to stick with it and then they started making some shots.”

The series wraps up Sunday with a rematch in Lubbock.

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