GEORGETOWN, Texas --Armonie Ramey scored 20 points and Hudson Johnson added 20 and the Howard Payne men's basketball team knocked off the Southwestern (TX) Pirates 96-86 on the road Tuesday.

Ramey and Johnson's stellar scoring performances led the Yellow Jackets (1-2) in the contest. Ramey tacked on four assists and five steals and Johnson added six assists and three steals. Riley Fornerette also helped out with 14 points, three steals and two blocks.

Howard Payne shared the ball well in Tuesday's game, racking up 17 assists on 35 made field goals. Johnson's six assists paced the Yellow Jackets.

Howard Payne's defense held Southwestern (TX) to only 14.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

How It Happened

After falling behind 35-30, Howard Payne went on a 13-0 run with 5:41 left in the first half, culminating in a bucket from Johnson, to take a 43-35 lead. The Yellow Jackets then maintained that lead and entered halftime with a 51-43 advantage. Howard Payne capitalized on 14 Southwestern (TX) turnovers in the period, turning them into 13 points on the other end of the floor.

Howard Payne kept its lead intact before going on a 6-0 run, finished off by Trey Jackson's layup, to grow the lead to 59-48 with 17:32 to go in the contest. The Pirates narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Yellow Jackets still cruised the rest of the way for the 96-86 win. Howard Payne took care of business in the paint, recording 24 of its 45 points in the lane.

Game Notes

» Howard Payne lit it up from three point land, knocking down nine treys in the game.
» Howard Payne never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Howard Payne recorded 17 total assists in the game.
» Howard Payne had a great day defensively, holding Southwestern (TX) to 14 percent from beyond the arc on 14 attempts.
» The Howard Payne defense forced 24 turnovers.
» Armonie Ramey led the Yellow Jackets with 20 points and Hudson Johnson added 20.
» Howard Payne got a team-high seven rebounds from Trey Jackson.

The Yellow Jackets will play at home this Thursday against the University of St. Thomas at 7 pm.