Running on fumes after last night’s historic upset victory on the road, Terrence Dill's Houston Red Storm were unable to overcome the fresh legs of the Texas Purple Kings, falling 119-97 at home to conclude their demanding Rivalry Weekend.
The loss, which drops the Red Storm to 2-3 on the season, was compounded by both physical fatigue and key roster absences.
Despite the team's difficulties and the crucial absence of point guard Cam Moore, captain Dylan Spriggins delivered an extraordinary, high-effort performance. Stepping into the primary ball-handling role, Spriggins recorded a massive double-double with 31 points and 10 assists.
Spriggins was incredibly efficient from the free-throw line, sinking 11 of 13 attempts, but even his offensive efforts were not enough to halt a key 12-point run by the Purple Kings late in the game, which turned a six-point deficit into an insurmountable margin for the fatigued Red Storm.
The most difficult news of the afternoon was an unfortunate injury to veteran forward Eric Boyd. Boyd, who contributed 10 points before his injury, has been placed on the Injured Reserve (IR) for two weeks and will be re-evaluated on November 25th.
Head Coach Terrence Dill was pragmatic about the result, acknowledging the team's difficulty in maintaining defensive intensity after the emotional high of the previous night's victory.
"We expended so much energy in San Antonio; we just didn't have the fire power left today," Coach Dill stated. "More importantly, the loss of Cameron Moore's steady hand at the point was truly felt. That absence compounded the fatigue, and we were never able to find a consistent defensive stance. We need to protect our players, get Eric healthy, and refocus completely."
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