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Scoreboard

Bryce Smith
Bailee Barber
Bryce Smith drives to the basket for two of his 18 points.
79
St. Mary's STMUMB 10-19
87
Winner UA Fort Smith UAFS 22-7
St. Mary's STMUMB
10-19
79
Final
87
UA Fort Smith UAFS
22-7
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
St. Mary's STMUMB 34 45 79
UA Fort Smith UAFS 42 45 87

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | RattlerAthletics.com

Rattlers fight to the end in first-round loss to #1 seed UAFS

By Kaeleen Zeleznak | St. Mary's Athletics Communications

TULSA, Oklahoma — It was a tough ending to the season for the young Rattlers as they fell to the UA Fort Smith Lions 87-79, Friday afternoon in the opening game of the Heartland Conference Men's Basketball Tournament. 

St. Mary's erased an 11-point second-half deficit but could not withstand a second UA Fort Smith surge that saw the Lions push their lead back to 11 with two minutes remaining at the Union Multipurpose Activity Center. 

The defeat ends the season for the defending Heartland Conference regular-season and tournament champions, and also brings to an end the Rattlers' four-year streak of advancing to the NCAA South Central Regional. 

Leading the offensive effort for the squad were freshman Yanni Wetzell, who led all scorers with 23 points, and seniors Bryce Smith (18) and Kriston Minor (13).
 
The Rattlers had a strong presence on the boards, totaling 35 rebounds, with 13 being offensive boards that led to 18 second-chance points. Wetzell pulled down 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season, followed by Smith with six, and Stefan Wright and Dimitri Peterson with four boards apiece. 

The Lions jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead in the opening minutes of play that were quickly answered with back-to-back shots from beyond the arc by Minor. For the remainder of the first half, the two squads played point for point, exchanging the lead nine times and tying the game six times. Around the five-minute mark, the Lions began to make a run, extending their lead to as much as eight points, sending the Rattlers to the break trailing 42-34. 

Coming back from the break, the Rattlers struggled defending the field as the Lions continued to push their offense, capitalizing on two early turnovers and extending their lead to 48-37. After a timeout called around the 16-minute mark, the Rattlers put together a run of their own with Wetzell hitting two layups in the paint from Gemeny Givens, who totaled five assists on the afternoon. 

The Rattlers continued to put together a run with sharp-shooting on the perimeter from Smith, Wetzell, and Givens, who collectively went 5 of 7 from beyond the arc in the second half. 

At the 11:10 mark, the Rattlers had tied the game at 54, but they would not be able to regain the lead the rest of the way. The Lions had an answer for any and all Rattler offensive runs, maintaining at least a six-point edge in the final five minutes. 

Fouls toward the end of the half would see the Lions solidify their victory by going 8 of 11 at the charity stripe. 

As the Rattlers conclude their season, the Lions will continue on to the semifinal round of the Heartland Conference tournament to play for a bid to the South Central Regional tournament.
 
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