STEPHENVILLE — Chris Mpaka’s career night led Tarleton State Basketball to a 14-point Veterans Day victory over Merrimack, 76-62, on Tuesday night at the EECU Center.
The Texans (2-2) evened their win percentage on the season with their second-consecutive home victory. The Warriors (0-3) start the season winless on their third of four-straight road contests to begin the season. In honor of Veterans Day, the Tarleton State Corps of Cadets presented a court-size flag while cadet Olivia Ray sung the National Anthem.
“It was a good win tonight,” said head coach Billy Gillispie. “We will take the win and move on to the next one. We will have an extremely difficult challenge on Friday, but we have to be ready.”
Mpaka led the Texans in scoring for the first time this season. Mpaka notched a new career-high 24 points making 10 of his 12 shots from the floor. The senior was just one rebound shy of his first double-double of the season finishing with a team-high nine rebounds. He also shot a perfect four-for-four from the free throw line. The Kinshasa, Congo, native, swatted a season-best four blocks to tie Andy Sigiscar who tallied four on Saturday night against Texas A&M – Corpus Christi. Mpaka totaled five dunks on the night with four coming in the second half.
Hicks scored in double figures for the fourth-straight game to start the season. Hicks finished the night with 18 points while sinking eight free throws. He tied his season high with five assists and added three rebounds. He became the third Texan in the last two games to notch four blocks.
“This is the most talented team that I have ever been a part of here at Tarleton State,” said Hicks postgame. “We have some of the most talented dudes, probably in the nation. I think if we stick to our defense and play hard who knows what can happen.”
Cam McDowell added in eight rebounds and notched a Texan season best four steals. Kaia Isaac added three steals as well. Kade Douglas led the bench in scoring totaling eight and sinking one of the two Texans triples on the night.
Merrimack jumped out to an early 5-0 lead in the first minute of the game. Dior Johnson put the Texans on the board picking up where he left off, draining his first three-pointer of the night. The Warriors carried the lead for the first seven minutes before back-to-back jumpers from Jordan Mizell gave the Texans a 10-9 advantage for the first time in the game. Merrimack responded to take the lead back on the next possession, but a 4-0 Texan run capped by a McDowell steal and dunk put the Texans back ahead for the time being.
Douglas tickled the twine for the first time on the night with a triple at the 10-minute mark off an assist from Johnson. The Warriors regained the lead with a 6-0 run over a 40-second span to go ahead, 20-19 with 7:29 to go in the half. Six-straight Mpaka points in the paint including a massive slam put the Texans ahead, 25-20. Hicks capped the 8-0 Texan run with a pair of made free throws after the Mpaka spurt.
The two squads traded baskets in the final minutes of the half. Mpaka broke a two-minute scoring drought for both teams with a hook shot with 25 ticks to go to put the Texans ahead, 34-31 heading into the break. Mpaka was the only Texan to score in double figures in the first half totaling 10. Both of the Texans made three pointers came in the first half.
Tarleton State nearly shot 50 percent for the second-straight came but finished the night at 49.1 percent, 28-for-57. The Texans shot 72 percent from the free throw line connecting on 18-of-25. Merrimack connected on 79.2 percent making 19 of their 24 attempts. The Purple and White won the battle of the boards, 39-34, and the turnover battle forcing 21 and committing 17. The Texans added a season-best eight blocks and notched 24 bench points.
After the Texans opened with the first three points of the second half, Merrimack responded with a 4-0 run to bring their deficit within two, 37-35. A pair of Sigiscar made free throws followed by a powerful Hicks and-one three-point play put the Texans back ahead comfortably with a seven-point lead with just under 16 minutes to play.
After Merrimack answered with a triple, five straight Texan points from Sigiscar, Hicks and a fast-break Isaac layup put the Texans up nine with 14 to go. Tarleton State seemed to be distancing themselves from the Warriors with a 7-0 run to expand their lead to 14. Three consecutive possessions with a bucket from Isaac. Mizell and Mpaka fueled the Texan run. MC cut their deficit back to single digits with a 6-0 answer.
In the final seven minutes of play, Mpaka stole the show, raining down four alley-oop dunks to cement his career-best night. His first of the second half came at the 7:18 mark off an assist from Isaac. Three minutes later, off an oop pass from Hicks, Mpaka brought the house down again. Mpaka wasn’t done bringing another home a minute later with help from Isaac again. In the final minute of action, he notched his fourth block of the game with 45 ticks left and scored the final Texan basket with a thundering slam off a pass from Hicks. The Texan lead grew to as many as 15 in the second half with the Texans ultimately claiming a 76-62 victory.
Tarleton State will hit the road on Friday to take on Baylor for the second year in a row. Tip from the Foster Pavilion is slated for 8 p.m. on ESPN+.
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