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Feb. 14, 2009

Box Score

 

CANYON, Texas – West Texas A&M dropped a home contest to Tarleton State, 64-58, in Lone Star Conference South Division action Saturday night at the First United Bank Center.

The loss drops WTAMU to 15-9 overall, 5-4 LSC South, while Tarleton State improves to 16-8, 4-5 in LSC South action.

The first half saw the teams battle to a 26-25 score, in favor of Tarleton State. Neither team was able to gain more than a three-point advantage over the first 20 minutes.

Demetrice Fuller opened the second half with a three-pointer, giving the Buffs the lead. Following a charging call on Tartleton’s Cortney Hill, Bijan Dotson hit a short turnaround, putting the Buffs up, 30-26, less than three minutes into second half.

The Buffs then forced a Texan turnover. WT forward Justin Johnson took advantage, nailing a three-pointer from the top of the key and WT had its largest lead of the game, 33-28.

Marlin Cloudy hit TSU’s first bucket of the second half at 16:04 of the half to make the score 33-30.

The Buffs then had three straight empty possessions and TSU turned them into four points, tying the score 34-34. It didn’t stay tied long, as Fuller hit a 12-foot jumper to give the Buffs a 36-34 lead.

The Texans held a 43-42 lead at the 6:30 mork of the second half, when Niko Stylianou hit a three-pointer to put the Buffs up, 45-43. The lead was short-lived, as TSU’s Hill hit a 15-footer from the right wing to give the Texans a two-point advantage, 46-45. Following a WT timeout, Hill canned a three to give Tarleton a 49-45 lead.

Following another Tarleton bucket, WT’s Stylianou responded with another three-pointer, to pull the Buffs within three points at 51-48.

Hill then got loose on a fast break layup to give the Texans a 53-48 lead.

A jumper from the right baseline by Kyle Shields pulled the Buffs back to within three points, but Tarleton retaliated with a basket by Wale Ogunoye to give TSU a 55-50 lead. The Texan forward was fouled on the play and he converted the three-point play.

The Buffs then hit three free throws, one by Shields and a pair by Dotson, to cut the gap to 56-53 with 2:50 to play. A pair of Marlon Cloudy free throws elevated TSU’s lead to 58-53.

WT’s Stylianou responded with a three-pointer as the shot clock expired, to pull WT within two points. But, just as quickly, Cloudy hit an off-balance jumper to up the Texans up, 60-56 with 1:39 left.

Following a TSU miss, Buff guard Nick Burns was fouled in the back court with 1:18 on the clock. He hit both of his two opportunities to pull WT within 60-58.

Shields then stole the ball, but Fuller missed a three-pointer from the corner. Tarleton rebounded the ball and called timeout with 58.6 to play. Cortney Hill hit a fade-away jumper with 35 seconds left to put TSU up, 62-58. The Buffs then missed a shot on the offensive end and TSU rebounded and was fouled. Texan guard Effren Bryant rounded out the scoring with a pair of free throws to give Tarleton a 64-58 win.

“We just got outplayed tonight,” said WT head coach Rick Cooper. “Tarleton State wanted it more. Give credit where credit is due.

“We didn’t get the loose balls tonight and we got outrebounded again. Their players made big shots and we didn’t hit them when we needed to. Both teams needed the win and they took it tonight.”

Fuller led the Buffs with 15 points, while Shields hit 13 and Stylianou scored 12. Stylianou was 4-of-4 from three-point range. Dotson had eight points to go with a team-high nine rebounds. The Buffs shot 40.5 percent from the floor but were outrebounded by a 36-22 margin.

Tarleton State was led by Hill’s 16-point effort. Cloudy hit 11 points and Eric Williams contributed 10 points and a team-leading nine rebounds. The Texans hit 52.0 percent from the floor.

The Buffs hit the road again this week, traveling to San Angelo, Texas to face Angelo State, Wednesday, Feb. 18. Tipoff at the Junell Center/Stephens Arena is set for 8 p.m.