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Buffs Speared By Indians, 86-69, Saturday
Feb. 8, 2004
WICHITA FALLS, Texas - The West Texas A&M University men's basketball team suffered its second-straight double-digit loss, being routed by Midwestern State University, 86-69, Saturday in a Lone Star Conference South division contest.
The Buffs were dropped by Eastern New Mexico on Monday, 89-74, capping WTAMU's two worst back-to-back losses since a 76-56 and 62-47 losses to Southwestern Oklahoma and Northeastern State, respectively.
WTAMU's record is now 13-8 overall and 3-3 in LSC South action, while MSU improves to 14-7 overall and 4-2 in LSC South play.
Saturday night, MSU pulled away from a 22-20 lead with a 23-5 eruption to break the game open and never looked back, as the Indians snapped the Buffs' four-game win streak in the series.
Senior guard Rod Prater led three WTAMU players in double-figures with 15 points and dished out a game-high six assists and swiped three steals.
Sophomore guard Keenan Hooker came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points, all in the second half, draining 4-6 3-pointers, while junior forward Richard Higginbotham tallied 12 points to go with eight rebounds. Senior forward Jason Campbell pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.
MSU had three starters post double-digits, led by 24 points from Marquette Wilkins, 17 in the first half, while Josh Drumgole netted 16 points, followed by 15 points from P.J. Randall. Drumgole pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, leading MSU to a 36-33 rebounding advantage.
The Buffs shot 56.7 percent (17-30) from the field, and finished the night 27-55 (49.1 percent). However, WTAMU was hampered by a 10-23 (43.5 percent) effort from the free throw line and the Buffs committed 29 turnovers, the second-highest of the season.
Meanwhile, MSU had a 55.7 shooting percentage, including 3-9 (33.3 percent) from 3-point land, but also turned the ball over a lot, committing 23 miscues.
WTAMU never led in Saturday's contest, and only tied MSU twice, at 2-2 and 4-4.
Prater hit a layup to pull WTAMU within 22-20 with 8:48 remaining in the opening half, before the Indians went on their run to open the game up, taking a 45-29 halftime lead. The Buffs didn't make a field goal over the last 4:55 of the half, hitting only five free throws over that stretch.
The deficit climbed to 27 points twice, the last at 69-42 with 12:08 left, before WTAMU chipped away at MSU's lead, spearheaded by Hooker, who hit a trio of treys in the Buffs' 17-4 run over the next four minutes, a capped by a dunk from junior forward Carlos Silva to make the score 73-59 at the 8:16 mark.
Another 3-ball from Hooker dropped the margin to nine at 76-67 with 4:59 remaining, but the Buffs only scored two points from there on out.
WTAMU returns to action, hosting Eastern New Mexico on Monday, Feb. 9 at the WTAMU Event Center in a 7 p.m. tip-off.
The Buffs have a rematch against Midwestern State on Saturday, Feb. 14, in a 6 and 8 p.m. doubleheader with the Lady Buffs.
Saturday will be "Take A Kid To The Game," an NCAA sponsored event with kids 12 and under admitted free when accompanied by a paid adult, with adult general admission ticket costing $4. For more information, contact the WTAMU Ticket Office at 806-651-1414.
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