Box Score
HOUSTON, TX: The fourth ranked (NAIA) Texas Wesleyan University men’s basketball team (11-1) suffered its first loss of the season on Thursday. The Rams came out on the wrong end of a 72-64 score at the University of St. Thomas (7-7).
The loss ended Texas Wesleyan’s eleven-game win streak. The team’s 11-0 start was the second best in school history, trailing the 1940-41 team that began the season 19-0.
For the game, Texas Wesleyan outshot St. Thomas 40%-37% and led 48-44 in rebounds. The Rams also got a dominating performance from senior forward
Jeremy Mayfield who finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds.
The difference in the game came at the free throw line where the Celts outscored the Rams 22-9. St. Thomas, aided by five technical fouls against the Rams, went to the line 37 times and hit at a 60% clip. Texas Wesleyan went to the line 19 times and managed just 47%.
Terry Waldrop commented, “Give St. Thomas all the credit in the world. They beat us tonight. That said, I have been coaching for twenty-five years, and I do not think I have ever seen one official call five technical fouls in one game. We did not play well enough to win tonight, but we will go back to the drawing board and be ready for the next one. We were out played tonight, but we still had a chance to win at the end.”
Mayfield scored his 20 points in just 29 minutes. He went 9-for-16 from the field and 2-for-5 at the charity stripe while pulling down ten defensive and five offensive boards.
Brian Wanamaker and
Bryce Hill both finished with 10 points.
Jonathan Blake just missed a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
St. Thomas was led by Jeremy Lewis who went 6-for-14 from long range and finished with a game-high 30 points. Caleb Williams added 11 points to the win.
The Rams will return to action on Thursday, January 6, when they begin the New Year with a Red River Athletic Conference home game against the University of the Southwest. That game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start in the Sid Richardson Center.
