PLAINVIEW, Texas – Down by 22 points at halftime, the Oklahoma Panhandle State University men's basketball team made a furious second-half rally, only to come up just shy in an 80-75 Sooner Athletic Conference game at the Hutcherson Center. The loss dropped the Aggies to 2-3 overall and 1-3 in the SAC, while the Pioneers improved to 4-2 and 3-1 in league games.
 
Despite suspicious beginnings to the game, OPSU had its fans on the edge of their collective seats – and WBU faithful undoubtedly biting their nails – in the final 20 minutes of play. 
 
The host Pioneers had amassed a 52-30 cushion at the intermission and looked to be in cruise control. However, the stubborn Panhandle players refused to go away. The Aggies would out-score WBU in the second half, 45-28, after trailing by as many as 23 points with 17:42 left to play. The Pioneers still led by 20 points, 63-43, with 11:09 on the clock.
 
From that juncture, OPSU began to whittle away at the WBU lead. With 2:00 left in regulation, the Aggies cut the deficit to single digits, 75-67, after a pair of free throws from Jalen Thomas. With just 26 seconds showing, Antanas Tamulis canned a three-point basket that got OPSU to within a single point, 76-75. But Panhandle would get no closer, as Wayland made its free throws when the Aggies were forced to foul down the stretch.
 
"We had another bad start that put us in a hole," OPSU Head Coach Mark Laird said. "We didn't start the game with the same level of connectedness we had on Saturday. We showed - in the second half - what we're capable of when we are focused and connected. I'm proud of what we did in that second half. We will need to start the game like that on Thursday."
 
Freshman phenom Thomas (Amarillo, Texas/Palo Duro H.S.) had his second-consecutive 20-point game, leading all scorers with 25 points. Thomas was an efficient 7-for-13 from the field and 11-of-13 from the free throw stripe. He also hauled in four rebounds and made a pair of steals.
 
OPSU's Tamulis, making his first college start, did not disappoint with 21 points and eight rebounds. Tamulis accounted for all of the Aggies makes from three-point range, going 4-for-8 from long distance.
 
Alfred Alkannama chipped in nine points and seven boards. Senior DK Sumo IV tallied eight and Jamaal Smith seven points. TC Ellis, Quentin Fankhouser and Justin Pile each had two points to round out the OPSU scoring.
 
The Panhandle men will next be in action this coming Thursday (Jan. 21) at home versus John Brown University at 6 p.m.