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HOBBS, N.M. — The University of the Southwest men's basketball team showed resilience and competitive stretches on Thursday night, but a high‑efficiency Texas A&M–Texarkana offense proved too much as the Mustangs fell 80–44 inside the Jack & Mabel Maddox Student Life Center. Texarkana built early momentum behind a 45.2% shooting performance in the first half while Southwest battled through a cold start, finishing the opening period at 25% from the field and 10% from three as the Eagles took a 38–19 lead into halftime.
Southwest continued to compete after the break, improving its offensive rhythm and interior scoring, highlighted by stronger ball movement and transition defense. The Mustangs shot 33.3% in the second half, but Texarkana answered with an even hotter stretch, connecting on 58.1% of its field‑goal attempts over the final 20 minutes to maintain control.
Junior guard EJay Scroggins led the Mustangs with 11 points and added five rebounds while playing a team‑high 36 minutes. Steven Masini provided a strong interior presence with 10 points and a team‑best eight rebounds, anchoring Southwest in the paint on both ends. Jayvian Lawson added eight points, going a perfect 6‑for‑6 from the free‑throw line to fuel several second‑half possessions. Jalen Williams and Grant Hickey contributed five points apiece, and Isaac Warhurst knocked down a three‑pointer as part of USW's push to build rhythm offensively.
Despite being outrebounded 38–23, Southwest worked effectively on the defensive glass and generated stretches of strong stops, holding Texarkana to 29.2% from three for the night. The Mustangs finished 15‑for‑51 (29.4%) from the field and 3‑for‑25 from beyond the arc, while going 11‑for‑19 at the free‑throw line. Texarkana gained advantages in points in the paint (34–18), bench scoring (41–10), and points off turnovers (12–0), which ultimately shaped the final margin.
Southwest (5–19, 2–16 RRAC) continues conference play next week.
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