By CHASE UPTON/Sports Editor
TYLER, Texas—The University of Texas at Tyler’s men’s and women’s basketball teams return to action inside the Herrington Patriot Center for the first time this semester as they host Hawaiian Night. The Patriots will welcome two nationally ranked Lubbock Christian University teams for a pair of highly anticipated Lone Star Conference matchups. To celebrate, the athletics department will host a Hawaiian-themed pregame tailgate in front of the HPC beginning at 4 p.m., featuring free food, UT Tyler–themed Hawaiian shirts (pictured above), themed games, giveaways and more as fans gear up for an exciting night of Patriots basketball.
Women’s game: UT Tyler vs. No. 11 Lubbock Christian, 5:30 p.m.
The Patriot women’s basketball team enters Hawaiian Night riding a wave of momentum, coming in at 12-6 overall and 8-1 in Lone Star Conference play, good for fourth in the league standings. The Patriots have won six straight to open the new year, including back-to-back single-digit road victories over St. Edward’s University (9-8), 47-44 on Thursday and St. Mary’s University (9-6), 56-51 on Saturday.
UT Tyler has been tough to beat at home this season, posting a 5-2 record inside the HPC. Under fifth-year head coach Rebecca Alvidrez, the Patriots are 40-5 at home in conference play, an .889 winning percentage that makes the HPC one of the toughest venues to win in the LSC.
Defense has been the calling card for this year’s squad. UT Tyler is allowing just 49.3 points per game, the second-fewest in the nation, while also ranking 12th nationally in steals per game at 12 per contest. That defensive pressure fuels a balanced offensive attack, led by Australian freshman duo Hayley Cumming (10.2 ppg) and Leila Davis (9.9 ppg), along with junior Polina Latysheva, who is averaging 9.6 points per game.
Other key contributors for the Patriots are seniors Mariah Neal (7.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Mileina Sablinskaite (5.3 ppg, 5.4 rpg).
Standing in their way is a nationally ranked Lubbock Christian team who enters the matchup ranked No. 11 in the WBCA Coaches Poll with a 15-3 overall record and a 7-2 mark in conference play. They have also proven themselves on the road, posting a 7-2 record away from home.
The Chaps are powered by one of the most dangerous scoring duos in the LSC. Junior guard Kennedy Chappel ranks fifth in the conference at 16.6 points per game, while freshman Meg Meekins sits eighth at 14.9 per contest. Together, they form a potent offensive challenge for a UT Tyler defense built on pressure and discipline.
Men’s game: UT Tyler vs. No. 5 Lubbock Christian, 7:30 p.m.
The UT Tyler men’s basketball team returns home for the first time this spring semester following a thrilling 61-60 road victory at St. Mary’s (12-5) , which was receiving votes in last week’s NABC Coaches Poll. The Patriots trailed by 12 at halftime in San Antonio before closing the game on a 21-8 run to improve to 9-6 on the season.
Sam Phipps led the way in the win with 17 points, five rebounds and three steals. Sean Emfinger followed with 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Emfinger, a junior transfer from Philadelphia, leads the Patriots in scoring as the team’s only double-figure scorer at 11.2 points per game. He has been especially effective of late, averaging 16.2 points over his last five contests. Phipps has also been a key contributor through the first 15 games of the season. The senior from Utah has started every game and enters Thursday averaging 9.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per contest, ranking second in the Lone Star Conference in blocks per game.
Other key contributors include juniors John Barbee (9.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg), Kyle Morgan (9.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg) and Xavier Williams (7.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.1 apg).
UT Tyler is coached by third-year head coach Tim Moser, who has shown steady improvement in each season at the helm and the Patriots’ nine wins this season already surpass last year’s total of eight.
Coming into the Herrington Patriot Center is a Lubbock Christian team that sits at 16-3 overall and 7-2 in Lone Star Conference play, good for second in the league standings. The Chaps are coming off an 85-80 loss to No. 24 Eastern New Mexico.
Like their women’s counterpart, Lubbock Christian is powered by some of the top scorers in the conference. The Chaps have three players ranked among the LSC’s top 12 in scoring: Armando Miller Jr. (19.4 ppg), Antonio Pusateri (16.4 ppg) and Kendall Dow (15.5 ppg). Miller Jr. and Pusateri also rank among the top three in the league in rebounds per game at 10.7 and 8.7, respectively. Dow leads the conference in 3-pointers made per game (2.7) and ranks second in 3-point percentage (41.9%).
What’s at Stake
The doubleheader carries significant implications for both Patriots programs. The UT Tyler women’s team will look to remain perfect in 2026 as it continues its six-game winning streak, while the men aim to secure their first 10-win season since the 2021–22 season. Both goals will be tested against nationally ranked Lubbock Christian squads, making Hawaiian Night at the Herrington Patriot Center a pivotal moment in the Patriots Lone Star Conference slate.
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