The University of the Southwest Men's Basketball team took on two RRAC conference opponents this past weekend on the road. The Mustangs dropped the first game of the week to Texas A&M-Texarkana in a double-overtime thriller. They would bounce right back with a strong win on Saturday against Paul Quinn College.
Texas A&M-Texarkana
Texas A&M-Texarkana (9-2, 3-1 RRAC) would get out to a hot start in the first half, jumping all over the Mustangs (5-3, 1-2 RRAC) early. They would ride that offensive explosion to a 45-33 lead going into the half. The momentum of the game would shift as the Mustangs would pull the game much tighter in the second half and would eventually tie the game late with a three from Senior
Malik Malone with six seconds left.
In the overtime, both teams played each other equally, with the game coming down to the final minutes once again. A late three, this time from Texarkana, would tie the game and send it into another overtime. Another neck-to-neck period for both sides saw it come down to the last shot once again. Unfortunately, the Mustangs would not be able to get that shot to fall as they fell 95-92.
Senior
Tre Thomas had a big game for the Mustangs with 19 points on the day. Junior
Johnny Tendale had 12 points off the bench, while Senior
Malik Malone and Junior
Jahvonta Jones added 12 points each.
Paul Quinn College
The Mustangs (6-3, 2-2 RRAC) looked to bounce back against a tough Paul Quinn (5-1, 3-1 RRAC) team after their heartbreaking loss in the first game of the road trip.
Southwest jumped out in front of an undefeated Tigers squad in the first half as they took a 39-31 lead going into the half. The Mustangs would not let Paul Quinn back into the game, as they stayed ahead during the second half. A day where the Mustangs would shoot 51.8% from the field would propel them to an 80-69 win, handing Paul Quinn their first loss of the season.
Sophomore
Tyler Watkins played a terrific all-around game for Southwest with 21 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Junior
Jahvonta Jones contributed with 13 points, and Senior
Malik Malone added 12 points and five rebounds.
The Mustangs will be back at home for their next couple of games against RRAC opponents. They will first host Texas College on Thursday and Jarvis Christian on Saturday. Continue to follow USW Athletics and USW Men's Basketball on all social media for scores and updates throughout the season.
