Dec. 31, 2008

Story courtesy of Texas Wesleyan Sports Information

SHREVEPORT, La. -- The Texas Wesleyan University men’s basketball team (10-1) took a 71-67 win at LSU-Shreveport (6-4) on Tuesday (Dec. 30).  At 10-1, the seventh ranked Rams are off to their best start since the 1940-41 squad started out 19-0.

With the win the Rams have swept the season series from the Pilots, winning the earlier contest in Fort Worth by a score of 70-69.

After LSUS scored the game’s first six points, the Rams rallied to take the lead on a three from Chris Berry that brought the score to 14-12 midway through the first half.  From that point the game saw five ties and four lead changes before the Pilots went to the intermission with a 37-34 advantage.

The Rams opened the second half with a bucket from Terrell Henry, but the Pilots took control with an 11-3 run that brought the score to 48-39.  The Rams chipped away throughout the period and took a 64-63 lead with a three from Henry and a jumper from Berry with just over three minutes to play.

The game got intense in the final minutes as LSUS’ Clarke Jackson answered the Rams push with a three of his own.  Ryan Barnes scored to tie the game at 66 and Berry drained one of two at the line to give Texas Wesleyan a one-point margin with 42 seconds to go.

With 27 seconds to play, Jackson tied the game with a pair of free throws.  Willie Sweat scored his first points of the game with the go ahead bucket for Texas Wesleyan with 13 seconds to play.  With the Pilots looking to tie with a two or win with a three, Sweat stole the ball and scored a layup just before the buzzer for the 71-67 final score.

The Pilots out shot the Rams 44%-41%, but Texas Wesleyan dominated the boards, 47-25.

Berry led all scorers with 22 points to go with nine rebounds.  Kennith Gober finished with 14, and Henry scored 12 for the Rams.  Hector Mukweyi brought down 10 rebounds in the win.

LSUS was led by Jackson’s 18 points.  Jared Stevenson finished with 16 and John Anthony Anglin scored 14 for the Pilots.

“Our bench was huge tonight, especially in the first half,” commented head coach Terry Waldrop.  Sweat finished with four points, six assists, and three rebounds, and Cody Waldrop scored nine points off the Texas Wesleyan bench.  “This was a good game against a quality opponent on the road.  We really had to bear down, overcome some foul trouble, and make plays at the end.”

The Rams will return to action on Monday, January 5, when they take on NCAA Division I UT-San Antonio in exhibition action.  That game, the final non-conference contest for the Rams, is set for an 8:00 p.m. start in San Antonio, TX.