Tarleton bench drops 58 points in exhibition win over Trailblazers

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STEPHENVILLE – The Texans began their season at Wisdom Gym with a convincing win over first time opponent UNT Dallas on Sunday, showcasing the new talent head coach Billy Gillispie has recruited to Stephenville.

It had been 246 days since an opponent stepped foot on the hardwood of Wisdom Gym. The Texans won that game and tonight was no different as Tarleton toppled the Trailblazers 48-83 on Sunday. 

The night began with a 3-point dagger from sophomore guard Noah McDavid, who would go on to record 10 points, one assist and two steals in just 12 minutes of play. Returning senior Shakur Daniel played every minute of regulation, scoring nine points while earning a team high six assists. The longest tenured Texan on the team, Javontae Hopkins, picked up three rebounds and steals, also adding two points and one assists to the stat sheet. Sophomore guard Luke Winslow tallied one 3-pointer off one attempt, picking up one rebound and assist as well.

Coach Gillispie had this to say about the Texans performance tonight, “A great start to our season. Our guys play hard, and tonight was no exception. Rough executing offensively but that is to be expected at this time of year.” 

Gillispie has brought in 12 new players this season, reaching into every corner of the nation, from Washington state to Jacksonville, Florida.  “A lot of bright spots and a lot of players got good minutes,” said Gillispie

The Tarleton bench scored 58 points on the game, led by junior transfer Tydan Archibald and sophomore forward Garry Clark, each gaining 15 points over 26 and 27 points respectively. The Katy, Texas, native Archibald would make his Tarleton debut memorable for fans, recording five rebounds, two assists and two steals on 26 minutes of play time. St. Louis, Missouri, native Clark, earned the biggest cheer of the game with a one-handed tomahawk slam off a fastbreak that urged every fan out of their seat. He shot 5-6 from the field, making one 3-pointer off his only attempt, and logged four rebounds, four assists and one steal. Chicago State transfer Coreyoun Rushin dropped 10 points and grabbed a team high six rebounds. Junior transfer Lue Williams also put together a double-digit scoring game, picking up 10 points, two rebounds, one assist and one block.

“Thank you to all the fans that came to watch. We will return here Nov. 10th in a game that counts. We appreciate each and every fan. Thank you all. Go Texans!”

Tarleton travels to Tempe, Arizona, on Monday, Nov. 7th, to take on the Arizona State Sun Devils in Desert Financial Arena.

“It’s real time now as we begin an extremely difficult schedule,” said Gillispie.

This will be the first meeting between the two schools in any sport. Tarleton is no stranger to playing power five opponents, having gone toe-to-toe with the 2022 NCAA National Champions Kansas and at the time top-ranked Gonzaga last season. The game will be streamed on Pac-12 Arizona at 6 p.m. CT.

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