SHERMAN, Texas — The Southwestern Pirates men's basketball team opened its season with an 81-69 road victory over the Austin College Kangaroos.
Southwestern opened the game with heavy firepower, hitting a barrage of 3-pointers to take an early 26-9 lead. The Pirates finished the game slowly pulling away as if performing an execution by paper cuts, hitting 27 second-half free throws.
Four of the Pirates' five starters scored in double figures, led by Kyle Poerschke, who opened the game with a pair of 3-pointers and a Eurostep layup on his way to a team-high 18 points on 12 shots. The junior from Houston, Texas also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out two assists in 22 minutes.
The Pirates opened the game with a balanced scoring attack, spacing the floor with 3-pointers that extended several feet beyond the 3-point line to open up the inside.
When the offense stagnated late in the first half—scoring only a single basket over a seven-minute stretch—the defense kept Austin College at bay, limiting the Kangaroos to just 11-for-37 shooting (29.7 percent) in the first half.
The Pirates excelled in a zone defense, using athleticism and activity on the wings with Poerschke, Calvin Williams, and Chris Smith, Jr. disrupting driving and passing lanes and Trenton Garrett protecting the rim.
Austin College found better offensive footing in the second half, led by Michael Holland, who scored 12 of his game-high 22 points after the break. The Kangaroos exploited the young team's inexperience by pressuring the length of the floor to force a flurry of turnovers (14 in the second half, including six steals) to stay within striking distance.
Southwestern responded by attacking the glass, taking a 28-15 rebounding advantage in the second half, and pressuring the rim to get to the free-throw line for 33 second-half attempts.
Garrett picked up where he left off last season, when he scored in double digits in each of the final five games, notching a 12-point, 11-rebound double-double while anchoring the defense with three steals, two blocks, and countless other altered shots.
Preston Hannah scored 14 points, including 11 in the second half with seven made free throws, to go with four rebounds and three assists. Smith had 10 points, six rebounds, and two blocks in 22 minutes. Josh Jones had eight points and four assists off the bench. Reserves Leo Toussaint and Jack O'Neil had six points each.
The Pirates shot 22-for-55 (40 percent) for the game, including 8-for-22 (36.4 percent) from the 3-point line and 29-for-41 from the free-throw line (70.7 percent). Southwestern outrebounded Austin College 57-34, leading to a 14-6 advantage in second-chance points.
Holland led Austin College with 22 points on 22 shots to go with six rebounds and five assists. Tristan Dick was the only other Kangaroo in double figures with 12 points on 16 shots. Austin College falls to 2-1 with the loss. Both teams will play again tomorrow at 4:00 p.m.
