GAME NOTES: The Broncs of Texas-Pan American try to bounce back from their first loss of the season, as they take on the Alabama State Hornets as part of the University of Utah Tournament at the Huntsman Center,

UTPA, which won a total of just nine games last season, got off to a 3-0 start before falling to Utah in a blowout on Wednesday, 85-48.

The Hornets won their first game of the 2014-15 campaign, a 105-64 thrashing of Auburn-Montgomery at home, but since then the team has fallen a game under .500. Two nights ago the squad was defeated by North Dakota in a 75-68 final.

The Broncs won the only previous meeting between the programs back in 2012, and both teams will be back in action on Saturday as ASU challenges host Utah, and the Broncs get after North Dakota to finish off the tourney.

The Hornets dug themselves a huge hole in the first half against North Dakota and trailed by 21 points at the break, but managed to make things interesting after the break before suffering the inevitable loss. Luther Page came off the bench to deliver 14 points and 14 rebounds, while Jamel Waters pitched in with 15 points and seven of his team's assists. DeMarcus Robinson and Wendell Lewis accounted for 13 and 10 points, respectively, the latter also blocking five shots.

Robinson, the leading scorer in the first two games for Alabama State, is putting up 19.0 ppg as he shoots not only 58.8 percent from the floor but also 59.1 percent behind the 3-point line, lifting the entire unit to 42.4 percent on the perimeter. Bobby Brown accounts for 12.0 ppg and 6.7 rpg, while Page (10.0 ppg) also gives the team a significant presence in the paint with his 7.3 rpg as the team beats opponents by 10.3 rpg in the early going.

Unfortunately for the Broncs, they didn't stand a chance against host Utah in their meeting a few days back. The Utes converted 17 field goals in the first half, while UTPA had just 16 field goals for the entire meeting. Shaquille Boga delivered 16 points for the visitors, followed by Janari Joesaar with dropped in 11 points for a team that had just as many turnovers as they had made field goals.

Joesaar, the top scorer in each of the first three games for UTPA, is averaging a double-double at the moment with 18.8 ppg and 10.8 rpg. As if that were not enough, Joesaar is also first on the squad in assists (15), blocked shots (eight) and steals (five). Boga, a 57.7 percent shooter from the field, is responsible for another 14.7 ppg as the team generates 70.2 ppg, but at the same time is allowing 76.0 ppg.

Take away the awful effort against Utah and the Broncs are a solid foe for an opponent like Alabama State on Friday. As long as UTPA can give support to Joesaar and not ask him to do it all, the squad should get back into the win column.