Box Score
Head Coach Terry Waldrop

     WAXAHACHIE, Texas - Senior Tommy Johnson torched the host Lions for 25 points to lead Texas Wesleyan past Southwestern Assemblies of God, 84-71, Thursday evening in the Red River Athletic Conference quarterfinals at Waxahachie High School.

     "Tommy Johnson is a legitimate player who makes big-time plays," head coach Terry Waldrop said. "He has continued to step up for us and works well within our offense."

     SW Assemblies of God (13-20) jumped to an early 10-4 lead with 16:43 remaining in the first half. Nikola Lucic scored six of the Lions' first 10 points.

     Texas Wesleyan (20-11) responded with a 25-10 run over the next 13 minutes to open a 29-20 lead with 3:35 left in the first frame. Junior Brad Schilder led the charge with seven points and Johnson chipped in with two treys. The Rams ended the first half with 34-27 lead at the break.

     In the second half, the Rams came out hot, outscoring the Lions, 19-13 over the first seven minutes to take a 53-40 lead with 12:35 remaining in the contest. Sophomore Nino Etienne registered four points off of the bench. The Panama City, Panama native, was again a star off of the bench allotting for 11 points and nine rebounds in a reserve role.

     SW Assemblies of God fought back, using a 19-5 run over the next five minutes to pull within 59-58, with 7:45 left in the contest. Jacob Holmes scored 11 of the 19 points during the home team's run.

     The Rams answered the call, deciding the game with a 16-5 run in the next five minutes to take a 12-point lead. Johnson again led the way with seven points during the run.

     "I thought our defensive intensity has been a really big part of our wins in the last week," Waldrop said. "We didn't shoot it like we are capable of, but we hit some timely shots."

     Senior Khayri McKinney had a solid outing, scorching the nets for 20 points and dishing out four assists. The Del Rio, Texas native also picked up three steals. Junior Ben Hunt had a good all-around game, scoring 13 points, grabbing eight rebounds and collecting a game-high six assists.

     Lucic led the Lions with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Holmes finished with 13 points and three assists. Jason Johnson had a game-high four steals for SW Assemblies of God.

     Texas Wesleyan shot 47 percent (26-55) from the floor and 69 percent (22-32) from the charity stripe. The Rams also shot 39 percent (10-26) from the three-point line.

     SW Assemblies of God shot 41 percent (28-69) from the field and 67 percent (8-12) from the free-throw line. The Lions also shot 24 percent (7-29) from behind the arc.

     Texas Wesleyan will be back in action Friday when they take on Langston in the RRAC semifinals. Tip-off is set for 5 p.m. at SW Assemblies of God University. The Rams split with the Lions, with the home team winning on their home courts. Check www.redriverconference.com for complete tournament results.