Big second half sends Texas-Pan American past Roadrunners, 70-55Big second half sends Texas-Pan American past Roadrunners, 70-55
Men's Basketball

Big second half sends Texas-Pan American past Roadrunners, 70-55

SAN ANTONIO — Keon Lewis scored a season-high 16 points, but Texas-Pan American opened the second half with a 17-2 run to erase a halftime deficit on its way to a 70-55 victory at UTSA on Thursday night at the Convocation Center.

Lewis, who scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half, hit nine free throws and his first 3-pointer of the season to go along with three assists for the Roadrunners (0-4). The junior from Seattle, Wash., has reached double figures in all four contests and was joined by Jordan Sims and Devon Agusi, who both netted 10 points apiece.

UTSA shot 38.6 percent in the contest and 65.4 percent (17-of-26) at the free-throw line.

Meanwhile, L.J. McIntosh hit five 3-pointers to lead the Broncs (3-4) with a game-high 17 points off the bench. Shaquille Hines added a dozen and nine rebounds, while Javorn Farrell and Shaquille Boga chipped in 11 points.

After shooting just 30 percent in the opening half, UTPA rebounded to shoot 65.4 percent over the final 20 minutes. The visitors also held a 39-22 advantage on the glass and recorded 17 assists.

Trailing 31-26 at halftime, the Broncs scored the first nine points of the second half to take the lead for good.

McIntosh opened the frame with the first of three second-half 3-pointers and added a pair of free throws with 18:02 to play that gave Texas-Pan American the lead.

Farrell capped the run with a layup for a 43-33 lead and UTSA only got as close as seven from there. With 12:12 on the clock, Lewis drove in and completed an old-fashioned three-point play to trim the deficit to 45-38, while a Hyjii Thomas jumper less than a minute later made it 47-40.

The Broncs, who made 10 of their first 14 shots in the second half, led by as many as 17 in the closing minutes and snapped the Roadrunners’ three-game winning streak in the series.

UTSA got its offense going early and jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead. Jordan Sims connected on a 3-pointer before Agusi buried a jumper that was followed by a pair of Lewis free throws in the stretch.

However, the Broncs rattled off a 7-0 run for their first lead, but the run was cut off by Sims’ second triple of the night.

Texas-Pan American led 19-17 following a McIntosh 3-pointer with 9:30 in the half and the Roadrunners responded with seven consecutive points to take the lead for the rest of the stanza.

Agusi started the spurt with a jumper and a free throw. George Matthews then picked up an offensive rebound and found nothing but net on a baseline shot of his own before a driving layup by Lewis gave the home squad a 24-17 advantage.

A Thomas layup with 2:36 to go in the half gave the Roadrunners their largest lead of the opening 20 minutes, 29-23, and the Birds took a 31-26 advantage into halftime.

UTSA will close out its three-game home stand at 2 p.m. on Saturday when it hosts Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (3-3).