GEORGETOWN, Texas — While temperatures hovered a little above freezing outside, the Southwestern men's basketball team's shooting percentage was an ice-cold 21.2 percent in the first half of a 79-53 loss to the Schreiner Mountaineers. 

Playing shorthanded and for the first time since Dec. 17, Southwestern struggled to find its rhythm. Early in the game, the ball moved to open shooters, but the Pirates connected on just 2-for-16 from deep before the break. 

A valiant defensive effort kept the Pirates within striking distance. Kyle Poerschke blocked two shots, and five different Pirates had one steal, forcing 12 turnovers to stay within 29-21 at the half. 

Both teams found better footing in the second half. Jacob Hester shot 3-for-4 from deep, scoring 11 of his team-high 14 points. Preston Hannah shook free to match Hester for the team-high with 14 points of his own, shooting 6-for-10 from the field. The pair of guards were the only Pirates to score in double figures. 

Schreiner was led by point guard Alex Dehoyos, who scored 14 points and passed for nine assists. Reserve Bronson Evans added 13 points and 12 rebounds. 

Southwestern shot 21-for-60 from the field (35.0 percent), including 7-for-27 (25.9 percent) from deep. The Pirates were also outrebounded 51-33, surrendering 18 second-chance points. 

The Pirates fall to 4-7 with the loss, including 1-1 in conference play. Tomorrow, Southwestern will travel to Kerrville, Texas, for a rematch against Schreiner at 4:00 p.m.