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Feb. 18, 2009

Box Score

 

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Wednesday night marked senior guard Kyle Shields’ 113th career appearance, and he made it a night to remember with a 31-point, career-high scoring outing. However, had Nick Burns’ last second three-pointer fell, it would have been remembered a bit better, as the West Texas A&M Buffaloes, playing with their potential playoff lives on the line, lost at Angelo State, 65-63, in Lone Star Conference South Division action Wednesday night at ASU’s Junnell Center-Stephens Arena.

The loss drops WTAMU to 15-10 overall, 5-5 LSC South, while Angelo State improves to 19-5, 7-2 in LSC South action. The loss, WT’s third-consecutive defeat, combined with Tarleton State’s win against Abilene Christian, puts the Buffs in a tie with the Texans for the fourth in the LSC South race. ASU pulls into a three-way tie for the LSC South lead.

Angelo State jumped to a quick 6-0 lead. But WT came right back to score the next 10 unanswered points, all courtesy of Shields.

After the Rams managed to tie the score, 10-10, on a Ryan Bennett layup, the Buffs then went on a 14-2 run. Guard Nick Burns started the procession with a layup, putting WT up, 12-10, and from there they proceeded to open a 26-12 lead with 5:37 remaining in the first half. To that point, the Buffs had forced 11 ASU turnovers.

ASU gave a spurt to close the first half, closing to within two points, 30-28, with two minutes remaining in the half. Shields gave the Buffs a four-point, 32-28, lead with a driving layup just inside the two-minute mark. He then hit a jumper to put WT up 34-28 and canned a left-handed jumper for his 22nd point just before the final buzzer of the half.

The Buffs lead through the first 10 minutes of the second half, opening as much as an 11-point lead, 40-29, just 1:17 into the second half.

The Rams would come back. Consecutive layups by Malik Motnii closed an 11-3 ASU run, pulling the Rams to within four points, 44-42, at the 12:45 mark.

A dunk by WT post Bijan Dotson at 3:42 gave the Buffs a 60-57 lead, but moments later, ASU’s Montii hit a lay up to cut the lead to 60-59.

WT’s Demetrice Fuller was then called for a charging foul, resulting in a turnover. ASU guard Lionel Brown misfired on a three-point attempt, but the Ram’s got the offensive rebound and WT forward Justin Johnson was whistled for a foul on the play. Shavar Burch hit both free throws to ASU their first lead of the second half, this coming at the 2:46 mark.

Dotson hit the second of two free throw attempts to tie the score at 61-61, but ASU’s Ryan Bennett canned a three-pointer to put the Rams up, 64-61, with 2:05 remaining.

A pair of Nick Burns free throws pulled the Buffs to within one point, 64-63, with 1:41 remaining. Angelo’s Nathan Walton then hit one of two free throws at the 51-second mark to put Angelo State ahead, 65-63.

Trailing by two, WT then held Angelo, defensively, regaining possession with 15 seconds to play. The Buffs got the shot they were looking for, but a three-point attempt by Burns wouldn’t go down.

“We played really, really hard tonight,” said WT head coach Rick Cooper. “It was a valiant effort, but it didn’t help us tonight.

“I’m disappointed that we lost this game, but we gave it a good shot. Nick (Burns) had a good look on the final play, but we got outrebounded again and made some little mistakes here and there that hurt us. I’m not looking for a silver lining, but I was proud of the effort our guys gave tonight.”

Shields led all scorers with his 31-point effort, the only Buff to reach double-digit scoring. He was 10-of-15 from the field and 10-of-14 from the line, while also dishing three assists and registering a pair of steals for the evening. Bijan Dotson led the Buffs on the boards, with nine rebounds. As a team, WT shot 39.6 percent from the floor and 66.7 percent from the line. The Buffs forced 19 Angelo State turnovers, but were outrebounded by a 39-27 margin.

Angelo State was paced by Malik Motnii’s 16 points, while Ryan Bennett contributed 13 points. Motnii was one of four Rams to haul in six rebounds.

The Buffs return home for their final regular-season home game, celebrating senior night when they host Texas A&M-Kingsville, Saturday, Feb. 21. Tipoff at the First United Bank Center is set for 8 p.m.