Looking to regain momentum in the conference, the Lions came out on top of the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) Roadrunners, 79-73, on Feb. 9 in the University Center. The game, which saw the lead change hands 14 times before the final buzzer, brought the Lions to 5-4 in conference play, and 11-10 overall. Junior guard Brandon Fortenberry was one assist shy of recording the first triple-double for Southeastern since 2006, according to lionsports.net.  

In the early minutes of the first half, the Lions took the lead and held it by a narrow margin, but didn’t hold it for long. With 16:22 left in the half, Roadrunner guard Melvin Johnson III drained a three pointer that would give UTSA the lead for another four minutes. When foul trouble from the starter, forced Head Coach Jim Yarbrough to go to the bench, the reserves responded. With around eight minutes left to play, sophomore forward Roosevelt Johnson, senior guard Gary Dixon and senior guard Rodney Jones, all reserves, combined for 16 of the Lion’s 35 points, bringing them within three points going into the half.

At the end of the first half, the Lions had attempted 31 shots, 10 of them being three pointers.

“We’re a pretty good three point shooting team, and Trent Hutchin and Brandon Fortenberry and Gary Dixon, even DeShawn [Patterson] and Rodney Jones can all shoot the three pretty well, so really the low to mid 20s is about normal for us. If it starts creeping up near 30 you can get alarmed, unless we’re making them all,” said Yarbrough.

The second half opened with an immediate three-point bucket by Hutchin, one of his six of the night, which brought the score to a deadlock at 38. Another abrupt three-pointer from Hutchin put the Lions out in front.

While UTSA would pose a threat to maintain the lead, they never kept it for more than a minute in the second half, as Fortenberry played his way to top scoring honors. He ended just one assist shy of making history.

“I just took what the defense gave me,” said Fortenberry.

At the end of the night, Southeastern’s two starting guards, Hutchin and Fortenberry, combined for 43 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.

The win brings them back into contention in the conference division, and, with a few more wins from conference opponents, grants them a seed in the tournament in Katy, Texas.

“That was our goal this year, before the season started, to win conference. I feel like with this win tonight that put us right back where we needed to be,” said Fortenberry.