RAMS IMPRESS IN 87-58 WIN:

HUNT JOINS 1,000-POINT CLUB
February 23, 2006

FORT WORTH, TX:  The 22nd ranked Texas Wesleyan University men’s basketball team (18-8, 14-4 RRAC) avenged an overtime loss in Muskogee, OK, earlier this month by defeating Bacone College (13-15, 9-9) 87-58 in the Sid Richardson Center on Thursday.  The win carried extra importance as it moved Texas Wesleyan into second place in the Red River Athletic Conference standings.

Senior guard Ben Hunt entered the contest with 999 career points.  His play this season has earned him six RRAC Player of the Week awards including the last three in succession.  Midway through the first half he became the 18th member of Texas Wesleyan’s 1,000 point club when he drained a three-pointer to give the Rams a 19-15 lead.

Texas Wesleyan hit five threes in the first half and led by as many as 12 points (36-24), but Bacone closed the period with a 6-1 run to close to within six points at 39-33.

The Rams continued to heat it up from beyond the arc in the second half, hitting on 5-of-9 three-pointers.  Leading 53-43 with eleven minutes to play, the Rams took control with a 14-2 run capped by a Ben Hun three-pointer.  With 7:21 on the clock, the Warriors had cut the lead to 68-50, but Texas Wesleyan rattled off 12 unanswered points to take their largest lead of the game at 80-50.  From there they were able to coast to the 87-58 win.

Texas Wesleyan out shot Bacone 46%-37% and dominated in rebounding and long range shooting.  The Rams out rebounded the Warriors 54-37 and hit 10 three’s while holding Bacone to just 4-20 from long distance.

Five Rams reached double-figures in scoring.  Evan Patterson led the way with 20 points and 13 rebounds.  Khayri McKinney scored 13 and Scott Reasoner tallied 10.  Hunt and Nino Etienne both turned in impressive lines.  Etienne recorded 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Hunt finished with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.  Hunt now ranks 18th on Texas Wesleyan’s all-time scoring list with 1,013 career points.

Texas Wesleyan will return to action on Saturday, February 25, when they host Paul Quinn College.  That game is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. and will be preceded by Senior Day festivities, as seven Rams will play in their final home game.