BETHANY, OK: The Texas Wesleyan University men's basketball team (10-0, 2-0 SAC) took a 72-68 Sooner Athletic Conference road win at Southwestern Christian University (3-5, 0-2 SAC) on Saturday.
At 10-0, the Rams are one win shy of matching the second best start in the 78-year history of Texas Wesleyan Basketball. The 2009-10 team started the season 11-0 while the 1940-41 squad holds the school record with a 19-0 start.
The Eagles got off to a good start on Saturday, jumping out to a quick 15-6 lead after a three from Austin Turner and leading by as many as 12 points (27-15). The Rams asserted themselves in the last five minutes of the half. A jumper from
Sean McLean, a three from
Merv Lindsay, and a bucket from
Chris Gracela accounted for a 7-0 run that closed the gap to 32-28. The Rams went on to trail just 41-36 at the break.
Early in the second half, a three from Gracela tied the game at 43 and a bucket from
Sam Akano put the Rams on top for the first time since leading 2-1 at the game's start.
The lead changed hands four more times and was tied as late as 64-64 with 3:09 to play. The Rams pushed ahead, and with 1:28 to play,
Demarcus Richardson drained a big three to bring the score to 71-65. That proved to be enough as the Rams went on to claim a 72-68 victory.
"Again, I was impressed with our toughness," said head coach
Brennen Shingleton. "We still have room for improvement, but getting two conference wins in between taking final exams is a great start in this very competitive league."
SCU used 10 three-pointers to stay in the game, but the Rams handily outshot the Eagles 50% - 38% from the floor. The Rams also continued to dominate their opponents on the glass, this time with a 46-26 rebounding margin.
Akano led all scorers with 21 points.
Jerrell Ellis contributed 12 points. Lindsay (12 points, 8 rebounds) and Gracela (11 points, 9 rebounds) just missed double-doubles.
Turner and Vladimir Nemcok led the Eagles with 19 points each.
The Rams will return to action on Wednesday, when they host Southwestern Adventist University. That game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start in the Sid Richardson Center.
Ramblings
- The Rams are 5-0 all-time vs. Southwestern Christian, 6-0 vs. Southwestern Adventist, and 10-12 in SAC play.
- The longest winning streak in school history is 19 in 1941.
- The Rams hold a +12.9 rebounding margin this season.
