Jan. 31, 2008

Final Stats

ALPINE, Texas - Hardin-Simmons' men's basketball team won its seventh straight game with an 87-82 win over Sul Ross State in American Southwest Conference action on Thursday night at the Gallego Center in Alpine.

The Cowboys and Lobos both came out firing and it was back and forth the entire first half, before a late surge gave the Cowboys their biggest lead of the first half at 38-30. HSU came right out of the gate in the second half and went on a 10-2 run to push the lead to 48-34.

Sul Ross came back and cut the deficit to four points at 55-51, but Casey Riddle had a 3-point play and Rob Yeatts hit a 3-pointer on the next possession to make it a 61-51 game. The lead was never less than eight points for the Cowboys, until a Filiberto Torres lay-up at the 4:25 mark of the second half made it 71-65.

A Roderick Gunter lay-up made it 71-67, but Mardochee Jean ended the Lobo rally with a 3-point play with 3:40 to play to make it 74-67 and Sul Ross was never closer than six the rest of the way.

HSU shot 62.3 percent in the game from the field, including an 18-for-27 effort in the second half.

Rob Yeatts had a career-best 26 points for the Cowboys. Jean had another double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds.He also became the Cowboys' career rebound leader in the non-scholarship era passing Jim Nelson.

Roderick Gunter led Sul Ross State with 26 points and Torres had 24.

HSU is now 11-7 on the year and 10-4 in American Southwest Conference action. Sul Ross State fell to 6-12 overall and 5-9 in league action. The Cowboys will play at Howard Payne on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Brownwood.