Howard Payne Opens Season with 106–96 Shootout Win Over Schreiner

BROWNWOOD, Texas – The Howard Payne University men's basketball team tipped off the 2025–26 season in style Friday night, lighting up the scoreboard in a 106–96 victory over Schreiner University in front of an energetic home crowd at the Brownwood Coliseum.

The Jackets' offense was in midseason form from the start, shooting a red-hot 51.3% from the field and 48.1% from three-point range in the season opener. A tight first half saw both teams deadlocked at 47–47, but a big second half surge powered by balanced scoring and aggressive defense gave HPU the separation it needed to secure the win.

Armonie Ramey led the way with 22 points and 7 rebounds, setting the tone early with relentless drives to the rim. Trey Jackson filled the stat sheet with 16 points and 8 boards, while Ben Phillip added 14 points, knocking down four triples to keep the crowd buzzing.

HPU's depth shined as the bench poured in 43 points, highlighted by Avant Coleman's 15 points and Jaime Puentes' perfect 4-for-5 shooting night that included three makes from deep. Jordan McClendon also came up big with 11 points in just 15 minutes of action.

Defensively, the Jackets made their presence felt, forcing 22 Schreiner turnovers that led directly to 27 HPU points. The pressure picked up after halftime as Howard Payne turned up the tempo and turned defense into fast-break offense, finishing with 33 fast-break points on the night.

The game featured 16 lead changes and 10 ties before the Jackets finally took control midway through the second half, using a 12–2 run to break it open. From there, Howard Payne's energy and shot-making carried them to their first win of the season.

The Jackets (1–0) will look to build on the strong start when they return to action on Saturday, November 7th at home against Texas Lutheran.