PULASKI, Tenn. – UT Southern men's basketball could not overcome an early deficit on Saturday afternoon, falling 76–55 to Lindsey Wilson inside the Curry Athletic Complex. Despite a stronger second half and several scoring bursts, the Firehawks were unable to recover from a cold opening stretch that allowed the visitors to build separation.
UT Southern struck first when Daniel Reyes knocked down two free throws at the 19:01 mark, but the Blue Raiders responded with an 8–0 run fueled by turnovers. Antonio Cochran halted the push with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 4–5, and moments later he hit back-to-back jumpers to keep the Firehawks within one at 8–9.
From there, the offense stalled. UT Southern endured a four-minute scoring drought as Lindsey Wilson converted turnovers and second-chance chances into a 22–13 advantage with 7:25 left. Luke Lentz briefly shifted the momentum with a three-pointer from the right wing, but the Firehawks struggled to string together stops. A late bucket from Khadir Muhammad and a jumper from Mike Bell, Jr. helped, but UTS entered halftime down 40–23.
The Firehawks opened the second half with renewed energy. After Lindsey Wilson scored first, Muhammad answered with a three at the 15:45 mark before Cochran powered through the lane for a layup that made it 52–30. Bell, Jr. kept attacking, scoring seven straight UT Southern points, including a strong finish at the rim followed by a three-pointer off a feed from Muhammad to trim the deficit to 54–42 with 2:42 remaining.
Lentz then added a three-pointer and a traditional three-point play, completing a personal 6–0 run to bring the margin to 64–49 at the 7:04 mark. However, the Firehawks could not pull closer as turnovers and free throws on the other end pushed the visitors' lead back beyond reach.
Bell, Jr. led UT Southern with 16 points and seven rebounds, shooting an efficient 7-of-8 from the field. Cochran added 13 points, six rebounds, and one assist while playing a team-high 24 minutes. Lentz contributed nine points, including two threes, and Muhammad chipped in six points, three assists, and a pair of steals. Reyes finished with three points and five rebounds, and JaMil Wilson delivered four points off the bench to go with six boards.
UT Southern shot 35.1% from the floor and 18.5% from three, while Lindsey Wilson finished 42.6% overall. The Firehawks outrebounded the visitors 38–29 but were undone by 21 turnovers that resulted in 24 opponent points.
Team Stats by Half
| Team |
1st Half FG% |
2nd Half FG% |
1st Half Points |
2nd Half Points |
Final |
| Lindsey Wilson |
46.4% |
38.5% |
40 |
36 |
76 |
| UT Southern |
32.0% |
37.5% |
23 |
32 |
55 |
Full Game Comparison
| Category |
Lindsey Wilson |
UT Southern |
| Field Goals |
23-54 (42.6%) |
20-57 (35.1%) |
| 3-Point FG |
6-19 (31.6%) |
5-27 (18.5%) |
| Free Throws |
24-30 (80.0%) |
10-15 (66.7%) |
| Rebounds |
29 |
38 |
| Assists |
10 |
9 |
| Turnovers |
10 |
21 |
| Points off Turnovers |
24 |
9 |
| Second-Chance Points |
2 |
5 |
| Points in the Paint |
30 |
26 |
| Fast Break Points |
8 |
4 |
| Bench Points |
40 |
8 |
UT Southern (4–2) now shifts into Southern States Athletic Conference play, traveling to Mobile on Thursday, November 20, to open league action. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
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