Men’s Basketball Makes History With First Win Over West Texas A&M

By CHASE UPTON/Sports Editor

CANYON, Texas — The University of Texas at Tyler men’s basketball team opened its three-game Lone Star Conference road trip with a historic 91-85 victory over West Texas A&M University on Thursday night.

The win marked the first in program history over the Buffs, who entered the matchup with a 5-0 all-time record in the series. It also continued a positive trend for the Patriots under third-year head coach Tim Moser.

UT Tyler’s 91 points were its most in conference play this season. The Patriots shot nearly 60% from the field and connected on 46.7% of their attempts from beyond the arc.

Kyle Morgan led the way with a season-high 23 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including six made 3-pointers. The junior also added four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Xavier Williams contributed 18 points and was a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line, while Sean Emfinger scored 15 points to continue his strong stretch, reaching 14 or more points in seven of his last eight games.

Sam Phipps paced the Patriots on the glass with nine rebounds and added 10 points and two blocks.

The victory was UT Tyler’s 10th of the season. With nine games remaining in the regular season, the Patriots have already matched their highest win total since the 2021–22 campaign, when they finished 16-10.

What’s Next 

The road trip continues with two ranked opponents. UT Tyler will face No. 18 Eastern New Mexico on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 4 p.m. in Portales, N.M. The Greyhounds enter the game at 16-3 overall and 9-2 in LSC play, sitting atop the conference standings.

The Patriots will then travel to the Metroplex to take on No. 24 Dallas Baptist on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 7:30 p.m. DBU is 15-6 overall and also 9-2 in conference action.

UT Tyler currently sits 11th in the LSC standings. The final nine games of the regular season will determine whether the Patriots can secure a spot in the Lone Star Conference Men’s Basketball Championship, scheduled for March 5–7–8 at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. The top eight teams will qualify, with the tournament champion earning an automatic berth to the NCAA Division II Tournament.