By John Werner

Tribune-Herald staff writer

It’s a good thing Kansas and Texas aren’t just around the corner.

Facing a Tarleton State team loaded with Division I transfers, Baylor dropped a 95-85 exhibition game before 5,483 fans Friday night at the Ferrell Center.

New Mexico senior transfer Jeffrey Henfield scored 28 points and St. John’s senior transfer Avery Patterson added 23 as the Division II Texans came out hot and never cooled off. Both Henfield and Patterson were Division I starters last year.

“Thank goodness this is basketball and not football because this game doesn’t count where Appalachian State did,” said Baylor coach Scott Drew. “We knew this wasn’t a typical Division II team.”

After failing to reach the playoffs with an 18-10 record last year, the Texans have their sights set high with four Division I transfers.

“These guys are committed to going to the national championship game,” said Lonn Reisman, who is in his 20th year as Tarleton’s coach. “We’ve been to the Final Four, the Elite Eight and the Sweet 16. We’ve played in every round except the national championship game and that’s where these guys want to go.”

The Bears obviously have a lot to work on before the Nov. 11 regular-season opener against Jackson State at the Ferrell Center.

The Texans took advantage of repeated open looks at the perimeter and nailed 14 of 24 treys. Patterson led the shooting parade with six of 11 treys, while Henfield nailed four of seven.

With center Mamadou Diene out of the lineup until at least mid-December following ankle surgery, the Bears opened with a four-guard starting lineup and got burned. The Texans outrebounded the Bears, 41-31, and often worked inside for easy baskets.

“We tried to pressure and trap them, but their senior guards did a good job of handling it,” Drew said. “Rebounding is tough when you’re playing with four guards. If you’re not getting into the paint, you won’t get second-chance shots. We’ve got nine days to become a much better team — and we will.”

The Bears got balanced scoring as freshman LaceDarius Dunn and Henry Dugat scored 20 points apiece, Kevin Rogers scored 16 and Curtis Jerrells added 15.

But the Bears lack of defense and rebounding killed them.

“We didn’t underestimate them,” Dugat said. “We knew they were good, but we could have played better. They got open looks and hit their shots. We needed to pick up our intensity.”

Patterson came out firing and nailed his first trey in the opening 20 seconds of the game. The Texans jumped out to a 12-2 lead and the Bears were playing catch-up all night.

“We’re a Division II school with Division I talent,” Henfield said. “Everybody came into this game and showed their talent.”

With Rogers getting loose for a pair of slams, the Bears rallied to take a 32-24 lead. But the Texans answered with a 10-point run as Patterson and Henfield each nailed treys.

With late baskets by Dan Eichel and Henfield, the Texans grabbed a 45-42 halftime lead and never relinquished it in the second half.

Patterson buried three key treys before forward Eric Williams drilled three shots to give the Texans a 76-67 lead with 8:20 remaining.

Henfield took over down the stretch with several key baskets including a trey to open up an 88-74 lead with 3:37 remaining.

“They wanted this game more badly than we did,” Dunn said. “They outhustled us and won.”

jwerner@wacotrib.com

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