STEPHENVILLE – Konstantin Dotsenko and Montre Gipson combined for 48 points as Tarleton had its highest scoring outburst since 2015 in a 113-53 rout over Howard Payne on Monday in Wisdom Gym.
Dotsenko posted a career-high 25 points on 5-of-6 shooting on 3-pointers and also recorded a personal best four steals while Gipson flirted with a triple-double, recording 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists in the win.
Tarleton improves to 3-7 on the season and is now 3-2 at home. The Texans shot a season-high 56 percent from the floor and improves to 3-0 when they shoot at least 48 percent. They also drilled a season-high 13 3-pointers as seven different Texans made a shot from behind the arc.
Defensively, the Texans forced 31 turnovers – the second time this season they’ve forced 30-or-more turnovers. Meanwhile, the Texans only committed nine turnovers and extend their streak of six consecutive games with single-digit mishaps.
The Texans opened the game on a 10-0 run and never let up. Shamir Bogues scored seven of the team’s 14 points, finishing with nine points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in just 19 minutes of play. The lead grew to 22 on a Shakur Daniel 3-pointer with still 12 minutes left in the first half as Daniel posted 10 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals.
Tarleton would go on to have its highest scoring first-half of the season, leading the Yellow Jackets 68-31 after Tahj Small beat the halftime buzzer with a 3. The Texans shot 61/60/90 in the first half and forced 15 turnovers which led to 27 points. The Tarleton starters combined for 77 points in the game, with Freddy Hicks’ 10 points giving the Texans four players in double figures, as Gillispie would utilize his bench for much of the second half.
A 13-0 run to open the second half burst open the flood gates to the tune of a 50-point lead. Tarleton’s lead would get to a game-high 62 in the final minutes of the game. Caleb Golden made his first appearance of the season after battling injuries and made the most of his collegiate debut with eight points, three assists and two steals. Caleb Starks matched Golden with a career-high eight points on 4-of-5 shooting.
13 different Texans scored in the game, with Jonathan Jackson Jr. adding five points in his first game back from a shoulder injury last weekend at California Baptist. Joey Madimba registered five points while Cadarius Baggett, Tahj Small and Tanner Ford each had three points on their only 3-point attempts on the night.
Tarleton will return to Utah to take on Utah Valley in Orem on Jan. 29-30.
Be the first to comment