UTPA falls short against Bethune-Cookman

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — On Friday, the University of Texas-Pan American Broncs were all smiles with an unfamiliar bounce in their steps.

Oh, how things change in a hurry. On Saturday at the Island’s convention center, the Broncs fell short, bowing out of the South Padre Invitational with a 67-64 loss to Bethune-Cookman. It was a game UTPA (1-6) could have easily won.

“I think that was one of those games that, whoever won, the other team was going to feel like it was a missed opportunity,” Broncs coach Ryan Marks said. “It was a well-played game. We both had our chances down the stretch. To their credit, they made a few more important plays in the last two minutes.”

Wildcats point guard C.J. Reed scored a career-high 27 points including the eventual game-winning basket with 5 seconds left.

“As you can see, I’m smiling,” Wildcats coach Clifford Reed Jr. said when asked about his son C.J. “…I think that was his first game-winner too. I’m happy, and his progress is great.”

Only seconds before C.J.’s big shot, the Broncs tied the game on two Jared Maree (18 points) free throws. The sophomore guard was 12 of 14 from the charity stripe.

Two of those free throws gave UTPA a 62-58 lead with 2:15 left but Bethune-Cookman’s Stanley Elliot scored the next six points, including a 3 that put the Wildcats (3-3) up 64-62.

Elliot’s long-range shot came after the Broncs’ Ben Smith’s 3-point attempt sailed long and out of bounds. It wasn’t the best-looking shot but up to that point Smith (15 points) had made 5-of-7 attempts from behind the arc.

“If Ben makes it, we are up four and probably in great position to win the game,” Marks said. “I like his mentality because he was playing to win. I would rather have a player play that way than not to lose.”

The Broncs made 9-of-19 3-pointers and used the long-range shot to erase an eight-point halftime deficit.

Despite the loss, the final two rounds of the tournament was the best basketball the Broncs have played in the young season.

“In the locker room, we told the guys we got to block out some of the negative pollution that can seep in from losing a close one and recognize what we did well and springboard that onto our next three road games,” Marks said.

FREE THROWS: Luis Valera was named to the All-Tournament team. … The Wildcats outscored the Broncs 30-18 in the paint. … Maree was 10 for 10 at the free throw line in the second half.

Peter Rasmussen covers UTPA athletics for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448.