AUSTIN, Texas - The Concordia men's basketball team used a second half rally to defeat UT Tyler 90-85 for their first win of the New Year on Saturday afternoon.

The Tornados (9-5, 4-2 ASC) were led by Ephriam Price's career-high 29 points on 10-17 shooting. Joe Neal had a near double-double with 25 points and eight rebounds. The Patriots (8-6, 4-4 ASC) shot 54.1 percent from the field, but CTX had 13 steals and forced 22 turnovers.

The Tornados started slow as they were down 13-6 early, but several free-throws and a Price three-pointer during a 7-0 run made it 13-13 with 14:01 left in the first half. CTX and UT Tyler went back and forth with neither able to maintain a lead. The Patriots led 28-21 with 8:36 left in the half, before a 12-4 run by the Tornados, capped off by a Payton Brown-Simon layup plus the free-throw to take a 33-32 lead. CTX headed to the locker down 44-42 at the half as Price and Neal both had 12 points, while outscoring UT Tyler 15-4 in bench points.

The Tornados would take their first lead of the second half during a 10-3 run, where Price had five points, and led 55-54 with 14:10 left. Neither team could extend their lead though as the teams went back-and-forth having seven lead changes and the score being tied another seven times, but the Patriots held a 71-70 lead with 7:35 left in the game.

UT Tyler would push their lead to 71-65 with 8:51, but after a CTX timeout, the Tornados went on a 12-4 run to take the lead at 77-75 with 4:49 left.  Neal gave CTX the lead for good after a layup and free-throw made it 80-78 with 4:09 remaining. A couple of three-pointers by Neal and Joshua Samuels iced the game for the Tornados as they went on to win 90-85.

CTX will finish up their three-game road trip when they will travel to Pineville, La., to face Louisiana College, who they defeated 86-79 on Dec. 19. Game is on Monday at 6:30 p.m.