NASSAU, Bahamas – Tarleton State Men’s Basketball found a way to pull out its first victory of the Baha Mar Nassau Championship with a 61-59 victory over Hofstra on Saturday afternoon at the Baha Mar Convention, Arts & Entertainment Center.
The Texans (2-6) will look to finish the weekend 2-1 with a Sunday evening contest against Indiana State at 6 pm CT. Hofstra (5-3) will close out the weekend tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 CT against Arkansas State. Tarleton’s bench energy played a factor despite only having two players play. The entire bench was pumping up the players on the court and celebrating every play giving the Texans a real boost of energy especially down the stretch.
“Those guys played their hearts out tonight,” said head coach Billy Gillispie. “My programs have always been built on toughness and togetherness … Today those guys gutted it out like crazy and made great plays. It’s awfully fun to win and it’s a great win for us.”
Ronnie Harrison Jr. had himself a night posting a career-high 27 points. The sophomore shot 10-for-18 from the field including nailing his first triple of the year. The Forney, Texas, native, also grabbed seven boards and tallied three steals. His 27 points, is the highest by any player in the first two games of the Nassau Championship.
“I just felt like we came out with a different energy,” said Harrison Jr. postgame. “We brought it tonight.”
Bubu Benjamin played a major factor as the other Texan to score in double digits. Benjamin finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and a block. Izzy Miles posted a game-best nine boards, with seven on the defensive end. Joseph Martinez led the squad dishing out four assists.
For the fourth time in the last five games, at least two Texans played all 40 minutes. Martinez and Benjamin each notched their second 40-minute game of the year. Tarleton has had at least one player play all 40 minutes in all but two games this season.
Chris Mpaka got the Texans started early on. The junior college transfer was responsible for the first eight Purple and White points of the contest. He shot a perfect four-for-four from the floor during that span. Mpaka tied Iona 8-8 in the first four minutes of the game.
Harrison Jr. notched his first triple of the season to respond after a Pride make from deep. Trailing 18-14, the Texans broke out on an 11-0 run to take a seven-point advantage with six minutes left. A pair of made free throws by Harrison started the run. He later contributed a layup. Benjamin accounted for five points during the span including a three-pointer. Miles was responsible for the other bucket.
In the final six minutes of the half only one bucket was scored with Benjamin getting the fast-break opportunity. The other 12 points scored by both teams came via the free throw line. After a Hofstra free throw with 0.4 ticks left, Harrison nearly made the half-court heave going just under the rim. Tarleton took a 31-26 advantage into the break.
The Texans shot 100 percent from the line in the first half, a perfect six-for-six. The Pride shot 75 percent (9-for-12). Tarleton held Hofstra to shoot 26.2 percent from the floor while shooting 40 percent itselves.
The second half started off slow for both teams with only seven combined points in the first four minutes. Hofstra battled back using an 8-2 run to retake the lead 34-33. Harrison accounted for the first six second half Tarleton points, giving the Texans a 37-36 lead heading into the first media timeout.
Hofstra tied the contest up at 37 with a made free throw for the final time on the night. Benjamin broke the tie with his second triple of the game. Back-to-back baskets from Harrison gave the Purple and White a seven-point lead, 44-37 with 11:53 to go. Nick Krass sent Harrison an alley-oop that brought the house down in Baha Mar, forcing a Hofstra timeout.
Five more Harrison points gave the Texans their biggest lead of the tilt, 49-39 at the midpoint of the half. The sophomore notched 15 of the first 18 Texan second half points, which he would finish with 20 of the 30 Tarleton points scored in the second half.
The Texans held their 10-point lead until Hofstra made a furious comeback in the final five minutes of the game. Tarleton led 59-49 with 4:41 remaining and scored just two points in the rest of the contest.
Hofstra cut its deficit to three in just a 1:38 span utilizing a 7-0 run. After a Benjamin free throw broke up the run, the Pride cut the game to one, 60-59 on a made three-pointer.
The final 30 seconds of the game had both teams wincing in anxiousness and frustration. In two possessions Hofstra missed four combined shots from within the paint next to the rim that would have given them a one-point lead. Jordan Mizell missed three of his four shots from the charity line to set up a final shot for Hofstra with 6.1 ticks to go. Hofstra’s leading scorer brought the ball down a fired the game-winning shot, but it nicked off the rim and the Texans win their first game against a Division I opponent on the season, 61-59.
Tarleton won the battle of the boards for the second time this season, 39-28. The Purple and White shot 44.9 percent (22-for-49) from the floor and 50 percent from beyond the arc (5-for-10). The Texans finished the night 12-for-18 from the charity stripe (12-for-18). Tarleton State held Hofstra to make just 16 field goals at a 32 percent rate. The Pride took 28 of their 50 total shots from three-point range with only nine falling in.
Tarleton State will conclude the tournament with its final game against Indiana State at 6 p.m. CT on Sunday. Indiana State was runners-up in the 2024 NIT losing to Seton Hall, 79-77. They have started the season 4-4 and are 1-1 in the Baha Mar Hoops Nassau Championship heading into their final game. Sunday’s game will be available on Flo College with Kevin Brown and Jonny Wincott. Kyle Crews will be on the radio call on 90.5 KTRl.
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