The Wiley College men’s basketball team will play against two schools from its former conference Friday and Saturday in the 2022 Texas A&M University-Texarkana Classic.
At 3 p.m. Friday, the Wildcats will resume the Highway 80 rivalry against Jarvis Christian University. They will face the host Eagles at 6 p.m. Saturday. Live statistics will be available for Friday’s game and live video will be available for Saturday.
The Wildcats (3-1) enter the classic on a three-game winning streak. In their latest win, they beat Central Baptist College 74-73 on November 10 to avenge their season-opening loss. David Williams recorded a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. Maurice Harvey provided 20 points, five assists and three rebounds off the bench. Kameron Fitzpatrick contributed 11 points and three rebounds. He hit a jumper late to put Wiley College on top.
Harvey ranks fourth in the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference with 16.3 points per game and fourth with 4.3 assists per game. Williams is third with a 70.3 shooting percentage and is tied for fourth with eight rebounds per game. Justin Minter leads the conference with six assists per game.
Jarvis Christian (0-1) opened the season with a 77-60 loss at Dillard University. Jorden Clark led the team with 14 points and eight rebounds. He was one of four players to score in double figures. Jakari Jackson tallied 11 points while posting a team-high six assists and a block. Tory Cargo contributed 11 points, five steals and four rebounds. The Bulldogs bring back eight players from last season’s 6-18 team.
Texas A&M-Texarkana (3-1) has won three of its first four games. It is coming off a 73-64 victory at Central Baptist College. The Eagles overcame a 21-point halftime deficit. Kobe Powell had 23 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals. Connor Ouellette tallied 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Friday’s game will be the first time the Wildcats and Bulldogs played on a neutral court since the 2008 Red River Athletic Conference championship. It will also be the first time they meet as non-conference opponents after playing each other in the RRAC from 1998-2022. Wiley College has dominated the series 27-12.
Saturday will be the fifth meeting between the Wildcats and Eagles, who joined the RRAC in 2019. Wiley College has won three of the four meetings – including two of three in Texarkana
