Chris Rios hit six 3 pointers en route to a game-high 33 points to lead host Texas-Tyler to a 78-61 win over the LeTourneau University men's basketball team on Thursday night in Tyler.
 
Rios and the Patriots shot 50% (27-for-54) from the field including 55.6% (10-for-18) from the 3-point line to snap a 16-game losing streak, who improve to 2-17 and 1-12 in the American Southwest Conference. He was joined in double digits by Anthony Gonzales, who had 20 points in the win.
 
LeTourneau (5-13, 3-10 ASC) landed three in double digits including freshman Sam Talbert and junior Giovanny Thompson, who each had 13 and senior Josh Thornton added 10. It was a team-best seventh time in double digits for Talbert and the fifth time for Thompson to be in double digits in 2014-15
 
Immediately out of the gates, UT Tyler took control of the contest with a 25-9 run in the first 10 minutes to start the game. 9 of the points came from the hot shooting Rios, who was 10 of 16 from the field including 6 of 7 from the 3-point line for the contest. The sharp-shooting junior from Houston finished the half with 13 points as UT Tyler built a 43-23 halftime lead.
 
In the second half, LeTourneau closed within 18, 48-30, when Talbert hit his second 3 pointer of the half. The Patriots answered the spurt with nine of the next 10 points to end the comeback attempt for the visitors.
 
The YellowJackets will look to bounce back when they travel to face Ozarks in Clarksville, Arkansas on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 3 p.m. Earlier this season, LeTourneau defeated Ozarks, 75-62 on December 19 in Longview.