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Feb. 6, 2006

Box Score

PORTALES, N.M. --- It was a wild and crazy game, but when the dust settled, the West Texas A&M University men's basketball team emerged victorious with a 92-89 overtime thriller over Eastern New Mexico University Monday night at ENMU's Greyhound Arena at Portales, N.M. Senior guard Ronnie Holmes set a career-high for the second game in a row with 29 points, while senior forward Patrick Culver had several key blocks, including one in the closing seconds to force OT and then later hit the icing free throws after sophomore forward Tyler Cooper hit a pair of clutch 3-pointers, one to force OT and another to put the Buffs ahead. With the win, WTAMU solidly grips second-place in the Lone Star Conference South Division with a 6-1 division mark, and 17-5 overall.

It was WTAMU's second win over ENMU in a week, after the Buffs beat the Greyhounds, 93-81, last Monday at the First United Bank Center. The win was also the Buffs' fourth-straight over the Greyhounds, as WTAMU now holds a 50-13 all-time series lead.

Last Monday was WTAMU head coach Rick Cooper's 400th career win and this Monday was Cooper's 250th at WTAMU, as he is now 250-117 guiding the Buffs.

ENMU suffered its fourth loss in the last six games, falling to 3-4 in LSC South play and 9-13 overall.

Holmes, who was named the LSC South Player of the Week earlier in the day, tied a career-high with five 3-pointers and ended with 29 points, after scoring his previous career-high of 24 points in Saturday's win.

Four other Buffs netted in double-digits, as Culver ended with 17 points, including 7-of-10 at the free throw line, while Cooper and junior guard Damien Lolar tallied 14 points apiece and senior guard Govinda Thomas-Carter tossed in 11 points.

Culver snared a game-high nine rebounds, as WTAMU was outrebounded, 33-29.

ENMU was led by 18 points by Mikal Monette before fouling out, while Stephen Wilson tallied 17 points and Donald Young netted 16 points, 14 in the second half.

Just like last Monday, both teams shot extremely well from the field, as WTAMU hit 29-of-52 (.558), including 3-of-5 (.600) in OT, and were 11-of-20 (.550) from 3-point land on the night, as Holmes drained five, Cooper and Thomas-Carter hit three apiece.

ENMU was 34-of-68 (.500) field goal shooting, but hit just 5-of-16 (.313) from behind the 3-point arc.

The Buffs also had a 23-16 edge at the free throw line, making more on 33 attempts than the Greyhounds attempted (16-of-21).

Holmes and Lolar each dished out six assists, while Holmes swiped three steals, as WTAMU forced 17 ENMU turnovers, while committing 16 miscues.

There were 10 ties and nine lead changes in the game, including three ties and three lead changes in the final three minutes of regulation.

ENMU took a 79-78 lead with 2:43 to play on a three-point play from Jolen Montoya, but then Holmes hit a pair of free throws with 2:26 left to put WTAMU ahead, 80-79. Monette hit a bucket with 1:56 on the clock for an 81-80 Greyhound lead. On the Buffs' ensuing possession, Lolar missed a pair of free throws and ENMU's Joshua Jackson connected on two free throws for an 83-80 Greyhound advantage at the 1:31 mark.

Holmes missed a 3-pointer with 1:25 to go and ENMU rebounded, but Montoya missed a jumper at the other end and Cooper rebounded for WTAMU. Cooper then hit a 3-pointer with 36.5 ticks on the clock to knot the score at 83-all and prompt an ENMU timeout.

The Greyhounds' Largent missed a layup with 23 seconds left and Cooper again snagged the rebound, and pushed it up to sophomore guard Kyle Shields, who was tied up by the ENMU defense, forcing a jump ball. WTAMU had the possession arrow in its favor and the Greyhounds called timeout. Shields drove the lane, but his running layup was blocked by Monette with 10 seconds left.

After ENMU called timeout again, Jackson penetrated to the basket and shot, but was rejected by Culver and Lolar corralled the rebound and got off a desperation heave from midcourt as the buzzer sounded, sending the game to OT.

Largent hit a layup with 3:14 on the clock in the extra session for an 89-87 lead, but that would be ENMU's last points, as the Greyhounds were 0-of-4 in the final three minutes. Cooper drained a trey from the top of the arc with 2:53 to go for a 90-89 lead and Culver iced the win with two free throws with 2.8 seconds left after snagging the rebound off a missed layup from ENMU's Wilson.

Both teams had double-digit leads that got away, as ENMU led 23-13, before WTAMU went on an 18-7 run, as Thomas-Carter hit a trey from the top of the arc to tie it at 30-all and the Holmes hit two free throws at the 6:51 mark for the Buffs' first lead of the game at 32-30. The Greyhounds took a 35-34 lead, and that would be their last lead until 79-78 with 2:43 left in regulation.

WTAMU took a 43-38 halftime lead, but ENMU trimmed the margin to 48-45 after a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws from Wilson. The Buffs' advantage grew to 62-49 with 13:53 after a 3-pointer from Thomas-Carter and Cooper later hit a trey from the top of the arc at the 12:25 mark for WTAMU's largest lead of the game at 67-53.

Young scored eight-straight points to spark ENMU's rally and get the Greyhounds back in the game, setting up the drama of the final minutes.

On Saturday, WTAMU will be in Kingsville, Texas to take on Texas A&M University-Kingsville at 4 p.m.

Fans can tune into all the action on the Buffalo Sports Network on KGNC 710 AM or streamed on the internet at www.gobuffs.go.com.

WTAMU returns home to the friendly confines of the First United Bank Center on Tuesday, Feb. 14, hosting Abilene Christian University at 8 p.m. in an LSC South contest.

For ticket information, contact the WTAMU Athletics Ticket Office at 806-651-4424.

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