SAN ANTONIO – Huston-Tillotson University's men's basketball team twice erased three-possession deficits in the second half Tuesday before falling 80-72 at Texas A&M–San Antonio.
Khuath Gatkuoth scored 14 points while HT teammate
Charles Hallmon secured a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Rams.
Braelon Seals scored 11 points for the Rams, while
Timothy Bradford chipped in 10 points off the HT bench.
Journee Phillips scored a game-high 25 points to lead the host Jaguars in their first-ever basketball matchup against HT. Texas A&M–San Antonio launched their basketball programs this season.
The Rams trailed by six early in the second half but scored six unanswered points to tie the game with 17 minutes remaining in the period. Hallmon's layup at the 17-minute mark tied the game at 43-43.
Midway through the second half, the Rams scored nine unanswered points to again completely erase the TAMUSA lead. Gatkuoth scored eight of those points (including the dunk shown in the picture) during that span between the 10:58 and 6:51 marks of the half.
The Jaguars pulled away from the Rams late in the half with a 12-2 run between the 4:15 and 1:05 marks of the period to build their lead back into double-digits.
HT won the turnover battle 21-13 and scored 27 points off TAMUSA turnovers. The Jaguars limited the Rams to 19 percent shooting (4 of 21) from the 3-point circle.
The Rams return to action Saturday when they host Our Lady of the Lake at HT's Branch Gymnasium. The Saints bring an undefeated 10-0 record into Austin and were ranked No. 20 in the most recent NAIA Top 25 Coaches' poll.
Tipoff between the HT and OLLU men's basketball games is scheduled for 3 p.m., and will begin approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game between the two schools.
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