TYLER, Texas – UT-Tyler's Brandon Weasby scored eight of UT-Tyler's final 11 points including six in a row that broke 71-all tie and the Patriots held on to beat McMurry 82-76 Thursday at the Patriot Center.
Weasby hit a 3-pointer with 1:02 remaining to break a 71-all tie and then took a defensive rebound the length of the floor, laid it up and completed an unconventional 3-point play after a McMurry foul to put the Patriots up six points.
McMurry's Dewayne Hall hit a fall-away 3-pointer for McMurry with 30 seconds remaining to bring the score to back within three points at 77-74. However, Weasby hit two more free throws on the other end to ice McMurry.
Weasby scored 20 points and was 9 for 9 from the free-throw line while teammate Anthony Reese led all scorers with 22 points and eight rebounds. UT-Tyler shot 50 percent for the contest and was 7 of 13 from 3-point range.
The story of the game was the discrepancy in free-throw attempts and fouls. McMurry committed 25 personal fouls to the Patriots' 14, which led to 33 free throws for UT-Tyler and just 12 for McMurry.
The Patriots converted on 23 of the 33 opportunities and McMurry was just 6 of 12. Hall led McMurry in the losing effort with 18 points; 13 of those came in the first half. Casey Jones scored 16 points off the bench after missing the last two games due to an ankle sprain. Chris Beck had 13 points and led McMurry with six rebounds off the bench.
McMurry shot 58.6 percent for the contest and 5 of 14 from 3-point land, however, UT-Tyler's advantage at the free-throw line gave the Patriots the edge.
UT-Tyler led 26-19 in the first half, but it was the largest lead the Patriots could build in the back-and-forth game. McMurry led on three different occasions, but the visitors' last lead was 57-56.
McMurry has now lost seven of its last eight and fell to 4-7 overall and 1-6 in the American Southwest Conference. The Patriots improved to 6-6 on the season and 5-2 in league play.
McMurry will try to get back in the win column Saturday against UT-Dallas in Richardson at 3 p.m.
