ALPINE, Tx.- Richard Hooper’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer lifted the Sul Ross State University Lobos to a 107-106 ASC West Division victory over the visiting McMurry Indians Saturday at the Gallego Center. (BOX)
The ball left Hooper’s fingers with just a second left in regulation and sailed through the iron at the 00:00 mark.
Sully posted a season-high six players in double figures led by Sid Hooper’s 21 point outing. Tury Escobar supplied 20 while C.J. Acosta recorded his second double-double of the year with 11 points and 10 boards. Aaron Hardwick was team-third with 17 points. Richard Hooper tallied 13 while Matt Santa Cruz sported 12 in the win. Hardwick was also team-second with 8 rebounds.
Sul Ross grabbed a quick 2-0 lead in the opening minute of the game. The Indians tied the game at 5 then went on a 10-0 run. McMurry increased the margin by 15 at the 5:39 mark and went to intermission leading the Lobos with a comfortable 52-38 advantage.
Matt Santa Cruz cranked up the Lobo parameter game to start the second half with a 3-point shot. After a scoreless first half, Sid Hooper opened the second period with 3 straight buckets from beyond the arc. After leading by 20, the Indians saw the gap narrow as Sul Ross sported a 33-point rally to tie the contest at 74 with 11:11 left in the ball game.
Both teams exchanged leads several times afterwards until McMurry tied the contest with 59 seconds left. The Indians regained the lead after a lay up by McM’s Alvin Steven’s put the Tribe up by 2, 104-102. The Lobos tied the contest at 104 after Escobar converted 2 foul shots. McMurry went ahead with a free throw by Russel Raymond. The stage was set as Steven’s hit the second of his two free throws with 3 seconds left and McMurry up 106-104. The Lobo inbound pass found the younger Hooper between the circles at 2 seconds as he let the leather fly with one tic and the ball meeting the net at the 00:00 mark.
As a team, Sully shot 51% (43%-long range) from the field after an impressive 74% showing in the second half. Sully hit 36 of 50 shots from the charity stripe.
McMurry’s Fred Baker led the Indians with a double-double 16 points and 11 boards.
Saturday’s win over the Tribe marks the first triple-figure team performance for Sul Ross in 2005-06.
The Lobos improve to 6-8 for the year and 6-5 in league play while McMurry falls to 8-6 and 7-4 in ASC competition.
Sul Ross hits the road next week for conference action with Schreiner and Texas Lutheran.
Newspaper Box Score McMurry vs Sul Ross State 01/14/06 3:00 p.m. at Alpine, Texas (Pete P. Gallego Center) At Alpine, Texas (Pete P. Gallego Center) SUL ROSS STATE 107, MCMURRY 106 MCMURRY (8-6, 7-4 (ASC)) J.R. Williams 7-8 2-6 16; Fred Baker 6-11 4-7 16; Rommel Colina 6-10 2-4 15; Terence Mirabal 4-11 4-4 15; Finlay Brashears 3-9 4-4 11; Russell Raymond 1-6 5-8 8; Brison Daily 2-3 3-5 7; Alvin Stevens 2-2 3-4 7; Elijah Bryant 1-8 2-3 5; Dustin Faught 2-2 0-1 4; Dan Jean 1-3 0-0 2; Curtis Jones 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 35-73 29-46 106. SUL ROSS STATE (6-8, 6-5 (ASC)) Sidney Hooper 7-15 2-3 21; Arturo Escobar 4-7 10-12 20; Aaron Hardwick 4-6 8-11 17; Richard Hooper 5-10 1-3 13; Matt Santa Cruz 3-4 5-6 12; C.J. Acosta 3-8 5-7 11; Abraham Ely 1-2 2-3 5; Art Gonzalez 1-4 0-0 3; Travis Johnson 1-1 0-0 2; Moises Morales 0-0 2-2 2; Jesus Banuelos 0-0 1-2 1; Cornell Hunt 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 29-57 36-50 107. McMurry....................... 52 54 - 106 Sul Ross State................ 38 69 - 107 3-point goals-McMurry 7-25 (Terence Mirabal 3-7; Elijah Bryant 1-8; Rommel Colina 1-4; Russell Raymond 1-4; Finlay Brashears 1-1; Brison Daily 0-1), Sul Ross State 13-30 (Sidney Hooper 5-9; Arturo Escobar 2-5; Richard Hooper 2-6; Art Gonzalez 1-3; Aaron Hardwick 1-3; Matt Santa Cruz 1-2; Abraham Ely 1-1; C.J. Acosta 0-1). Fouled out--McMurry-Finlay Brashears; Rommel Colina; Fred Baker, Sul Ross State-C.J. Acosta; Sidney Hooper; Arturo Escobar. Rebounds-McMurry 45 (Fred Baker 11), Sul Ross State 39 (C.J. Acosta 10). Assists-McMurry 9 (J.R. Williams 2; Elijah Bryant 2; Finlay Brashears 2), Sul Ross State 16 (Matt Santa Cruz 4). Total fouls-McMurry 39, Sul Ross State 36. A-546