HOUSTON, Texas -- St. Thomas men's basketball team nearly knocked off the 12th-ranked team in the country, but Wiley escaped with a 69-66 win Saturday at the Jerabeck Activity & Athletic Center.
UST (11-5, 3-2 Red River Athletic Conference) and Wiley (11-3, 3-2) are tied in the league standings.
Paris Marquez (SR/Atascocita, Texas)'s three-pointer with 9:55 to play in the first half tied the game at 16-16. Sam Flores (SR/El Paso, Texas)' triple at the 6:31 mark gave the Celts a 21-18 lead. Orowo Eleyae (SR/Houston, Texas) hit a triple on the next trip down the floor to put UST up six. Kennard Robinson (JR/Houston, Texas)'s three with 2:41 to go in the half gave the Celts a 30-22 lead. Josh Hamilton hit a bucket in the paint to pull Wiley within two with 17 seconds on the clock.
UST led 31-28 at the break.
The Celts were 6 of 14 from downtown in the first half. Wiley went 0 of 11.
With 15:03 left, Stephen Taylor hit a pull-up jumper to give the Wildcats a 36-35 lead. Wiley pushed the advantage to six before Nathan Thormaehlen (JR/Katy, Texas) hit a three from the wing, and Michael Alfred (JR/Baton Rogue, Louisiana) knocked down a jumper to bring the Celts within one. The Wildcats went back up five, but Thormaehlen went baseline for a thunderous dunk and sank a free throw to pull UST within 48-46.
Flores hit a three from the corner to vault the Celts back in front by one with under 11:00 left. Marquez hit a triple to give St. Thomas a 59-57 lead at the 4:00 mark, but Wiley answered with a three of its own on the next trip down the floor. Wiley turned a turnover into a 64-59 lead with 3:06 remaining.
Thormaehlen's follow-up dunk at the 1:44 mark pulled the Celts within three, 64-61. After Lord Akah split a pair from the stripe, Robinson scored on a lay-in to make it a two-point game. The Wildcats missed two free throws, but Hamilton grabbed the offensive rebound and then sank two free throws to put Wiley ahead by two possessions. Robinson hit a three at the top of the key to draw within one, but the Celts didn't get another offensive possession.
Marquez had 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Eleyae had 17 points. Thormaehlen finished with 11 points and six boards. Flores had nine points, and Robinson eight.
Traylin Prejean and Akah each scored 17 for the Wildcats.
The Celts were 21 of 59 from the floor. The Wildcats were 26 of 65.
St. Thomas will play at Louisiana State-Shreveport 7:30 p.m. Friday and at No. 1 LSU-Alexandria 7:30 p.m. next Saturday. The Celts return home Jan. 31 to meet Our Lady of the Lake.
