STEPHENVILLE, Texas -- The Pittsburg State men's basketball team earned a 95-83 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday (Nov. 29) in the final game of the Tarleton State Thanksgiving Classic. The Gorillas improve to 2-4 on the season, while TAMU-K falls to 3-3.

Josiah Gustafson led all scorers with 23 points. He was 10-for-11 from the free throw line. Devon Branch and Lamine Dieng each scored 17. Connor Kjer came off the bench to add 12 points. Javis Flynn was just under double figures with nine, but led the Gorillas with eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. 

Texas A&M-Kingsville had three players in double figures, led by Troy Jones with 17. He also had eight rebounds. Jamar Goodwin added 15 points and DJ Weathers, 11. 

Pitt State shot 66 percent from the floor, including 62 percent from three-point range, while holding the Javelinas to just 49 percent overall and 35 percent from three-point range. The Gorillas outrebounded TAMUK 32-21. 

Pitt State led by only four at the half, 37-33. The beginning of the game went back and forth, until a Branch layup gave the Gorillas the lead for good with 9:04 to go in the opening half. Pitt State built their lead up to nine points with 51 seconds left, but the Javelinas went on a 5-0 run to end the half.

The Gorillas opened the second half with a 5-0 run of their own to go up nine once again. Dieng completed a three-point play at the line to give the team its first double-digit lead of the game, 47-37, with 17:37 to go. The Javelinas were able to cut the lead down to seven with 10:12 left in the game, but Pitt State went on an 11-0 run to go up by 18, with 8:39 left. From there, the Gorillas stayed with a double-digit lead and took the 95-83 win.

The Gorillas will play their first home game on Tuesday (Dec. 2) at 7 p.m. against Newman, then will begin conference play on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Northwest Missouri, also at John Lance Arena.