HOUSTON – The University of St. Thomas men's basketball team won its 10th game of the season, beating Haskell Indian Nations University, 91-68, Friday night in the UST Classic at Jerabeck Activity & Athletic Center.

St. Thomas (10-3) beat Haskell (5-11) for the second time this season – the first time in Lawrence, Kansas.

UST shot 48.4 percent from the field. Haskell shot 36 percent.

The Indians trimmed a 20-point halftime deficit to 14 with 15:45 to play when Xavier Littlehead buried a triple. Freddie Ricks (FR/Cypress, Texas) hit a three to push St. Thomas' lead back to 21. Tristan Keah-Tigh canned a triple to pull Haskell within 74-61 with under 6:00 left. Paris Marquez (SR/Atascocita, Texas)'s euro-step bucket, Christian Alaekwe (SO/Fresno, Texas)'s triple and Keaton Shaw (JR/Mt. Belvieu, Texas)'s three-point play with 3:14 remaining extended UST's lead back to 21.

Marquez finished with 22 points, five rebounds and three assists. Orowo Eleyae (SR/Houston, Texas) had 13 points, Ricks nine and Sam Flores (SR/El Paso, Texas) eight.

Littlehead scored 21 points, and Keah-Tigh 19 for the Indians, who were outscored 32-14 in the paint.

St. Thomas' bench outscored Haskell, 63-14.

The Celts got out to a 17-5 lead in the first half. Marquez hit a triple from the corner with 10:23 to go to bump UST up, 27-12. Paul Taulton (JR/Pearland, Texas) scored on back-to-back possessions to make it 37-16. Nathan Thormaehlen (JR/Katy, Texas) threw down an alley-oop dunk from Kennard Robinson (JR/Houston, Texas) as the Celts widened the lead to 47-27.

St. Thomas led 51-31 at the break. Marquez scored 15 points on 5 of 8 shooting. The Celts bench outscored Haskell, 31-7, in the first half. UST held the Indians to 8-for-30 shooting in the first half. The Celts led by as many as 24 in the opening half.

The Celts will host Bethel College at 7 p.m. Saturday. Haskell meets Huston-Tillotson at 5 p.m.