RAMS PUSH UTSA TO THE EDGE
December 9, 2006

Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, TX:  In exhibition action on Saturday, the defending NAIA National Champion Texas Wesleyan Rams pushed NCAA Division I UT-San Antonio to the brink.  The Roadrunners needed a 14-0 run in the second half to make the game come down to the final seconds.

In the first half, Texas Wesleyan held UTSA to just 39% shooting from the field.  The Rams led from the start as Dane Dmitrovic scored the game’s first six points.  Texas Wesleyan continued to lead until Isaiah Allen and Melvin Smith hit four consecutive three-point baskets to put the Roadrunners on top 22-17 with 5:38 to play in the half.  The Rams then closed that gap to three points, 30-27, at the half.

In the second half, a CJ Higginbotham three-pointer sparked a 15-0 run that gave Texas Wesleyan a commanding 49-39 lead with less than ten minutes to play.  UTSA then responded as Smith scored the first six points of a 14-0 run that put the Roadrunners back on top 53-49 with 6:00 on the clock.

A layup from Nino Etienne put the Rams ahead 58-57 with 1:16 remaining, and after a three from Kurt Attaway, Etienne knocked down a pair of free throws to tie the game at 60 with 48 seconds to go.  In the final seconds, Smith hit a jumper and later came up with a big offensive rebound to set up a pair of free throws for Aldric Reynolds that sealed the 64-60 win for UTSA.

Head coach Terry Waldrop was disappointed with the outcome, “I felt like we should have won this game.  They are a very athletic team, and they hit some shots, but we played very well.  Kelvin Williams was dominant for us.  CJ Higginbotham came up big, and Dane Dmitrovic was a presence as well.”

Higginbotham’s 16 points led the Rams.  Williams finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.  Foul trouble held Dmitrovic to just 23 minutes, but the freshman still scored 10 points and brought down four rebounds.  Evan Patterson added 11 points and seven rebounds for Texas Wesleyan.

Smith scored a career-high 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead UTSA.  For the game, the Rams won the battle-of-the-boards 34-30 and shot 45% from the field while holding the opposition to just 40%.  The saving grace for UTSA proved to be turnovers.  The Roadrunners scored 29 points off of 20 turnovers from Texas Wesleyan.