STEPHENVILLE – The Texans won big on Thursday night in their home opener of the 2022-23 season against first time opponent Kansas Christian.
Tarleton hosted Kansas Christian for the first time in either schools’ history, coming out with a decisive 95-49 victory over the Falcons. The 46-point win margin was the first time the Texans had defeated an opponent by 25 points or more since last years’ home opener against Paul Quinn on Nov. 19, 2021.
After one half of play, the Texans only led Kansas Christian by nine points heading into the locker room. Whatever head coach Billy Gillispie had to say to the team worked, as the Texans outscored the Falcons 56-to-19 over the course of the second half. Tarleton started the half with a 26-to-2 run through the first nine minutes.
Two of the 12 newcomers on the team, Tydan Archibald and Garry Clark, found themselves at the top of the stats while also starting the competition. Archibald scored a team-high 15 points, only taking shots from beyond the arc, going 5-of-9. He also picked up three steals and two assists over the course of 23 minutes of play. Clark showcased his ability to move around the paint and create opportunities for him and his teammates. The 6-7 forward picked up his first 14 points of the season, shooting 7-of-9 from the field, and grabbed five boards total.
Tarleton forced 28 turnovers in the game, the second time in two games they have forced 20 or more turnovers. The Texans also recorded 41 rebounds compared to the Falcons 19, the first time since Dec. 7, 2021, that they have out rebounded their opponents by a margin greater than 20. The 19 allowed rebounds by Tarleton are the fewest in a game since they gave up 22 to Air Force on Dec. 21, 2021. Tarleton has now recorded back-to-back games with 12 steals or more, picking up 19 steals in tonight’s’ contest.
The Texans’ bench came out strong in this matchup, contributing 48 of the 95 total points against Kansas Christian. Leading the scoring charge from the bench was freshman guard Lajae Jones, with 13 points while shooting 6-of-8 from the field. Mareng Gatkuoth also picked up double-digit scoring with 10 points off 4-of-10 shooting.
Although he didn’t have a high scoring game, the graduate transfer from Memphis, Tennessee, Rod Brown, grabbed a game-high eight rebounds, four offensive and four defensive, and dished a game-high six assists.
Next up for Texan basketball is a trip to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, to play in the Paradise Jam! First in line for Tarleton is Belmont on Nov. 18, followed by either George Mason or Boston College on Nov. 19 or 20 and an undetermined opponent to be played on Nov. 21.
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