PULASKI, Tenn. – The UT Southern men's basketball team continued its hot start to the season Tuesday night, defeating Welch College 98–67 at the Curry Athletic Complex. The Firehawks were dominant from start to finish, shooting over 50% from the floor and showcasing a balanced attack that featured five players in double figures.
The Firehawks caught fire early as Mike Bell, Jr. opened with back-to-back threes before De'Marreon Baldwin threw down a fast-break dunk to ignite the crowd. UT Southern's full-court pressure forced multiple turnovers, leading to an 18–5 lead just six minutes into the game. Bell stayed dialed in from deep, hitting another triple to extend the margin, while Baldwin scored through contact to make it 25–8 midway through the first half.
Luke Lentz and Khadir Muhammad came off the bench and added instant offense — Lentz hit a pair of threes, and Muhammad drilled two more from beyond the arc in the closing minutes of the period. Jack Harper added a three of his own before the buzzer as the Firehawks rolled into halftime leading 54–26.
In the second half, UT Southern kept the pressure on both ends. Baldwin finished back-to-back drives at the rim, and Antonio Cochran connected from long range to stretch the lead to 30. Harper caught fire late, hitting three consecutive three-pointers to push the margin to 90–58 before the reserves closed out the final minutes.
Bell Jr. led all scorers with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting, including 4-of-6 from three, and grabbed seven rebounds. Baldwin was right behind with 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while Harper poured in a career high 20 points on 6-of-9 from deep off the bench. Muhammad added 10 points and four assists, and Lentz chipped in six points with two steals. Cochran filled the stat sheet with five points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Reyes contributed three points and a rebound.
UT Southern shot 52.2% from the floor, 45.7% (16-of-35) from three, and outrebounded Welch 45–25. The Firehawks tallied 25 assists on 36 made baskets and scored 48 points in the paint while holding Welch to just 35.5% shooting overall.
Team Stats by Half
| Team |
1st Half FG% |
2nd Half FG% |
1st Half Points |
2nd Half Points |
Final |
| Welch College |
26.5% |
46.4% |
26 |
41 |
67 |
| UT Southern |
54.1% |
50.0% |
54 |
44 |
98 |
| Category |
Welch College |
UT Southern |
| Field Goals |
22-62 (35.5%) |
36-69 (52.2%) |
| 3-Point FG |
12-32 (37.5%) |
16-35 (45.7%) |
| Free Throws |
11-21 (52.4%) |
10-14 (71.4%) |
| Rebounds |
25 |
45 |
| Assists |
8 |
25 |
| Turnovers |
10 |
10 |
| Points off Turnovers |
13 |
11 |
| Points in the Paint |
18 |
38 |
| Bench Points |
22 |
48 |
UT Southern (5–1) will return to action on Saturday, November 15, hosting Lindsey Wilson at the Curry Athletic Complex. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.
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