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Buffs Edge Wildcats, 67-66, On Free Throw In Final Seconds
Feb. 26, 2004
ABILENE, Texas - Junior guard Carl Lamb hit one-of-two free throws with 1.7 seconds left to lead the West Texas A&M University men's basketball team to a 67-66 victory over Abilene Christian University Thursday night at ACU's Moody Coliseum.
The win was the Buffs' fourth in a row and they improve to 17-9 overall and 7-4 in the Lone Star Conference South division, locking up third-place in the division due to Texas A&M-Kingsville's win over Midwestern State Thursday night. WTAMU will most-likely travel to LSC North second-seed Northeastern State on Tuesday for a first-round LSC Tournament contest.
Abilene Christian drops to 12-14 overall and 3-8 in LSC South play.
Lamb's free throw came after ACU's Mauro Matai's game-winning shot attempt was off the mark and WTAMU sophomore guard Steve Jackson rebounded and passed to Lamb, who started to push the ball up the court, but was fouled by ACU's Rodney Lee.
Lamb went to the line and missed the first free throw, prompting an ice-attempting timeout by ACU. Lamb calmly, coolly and collectively drained the second free throw. ACU tried to advance the ball up the court, but WTAMU senior forward Jason Campbell thwarted that idea by intercepting the pass at mid-court and ran out the clock.
The win capped a thrilling, competitive contest that saw the score knotted nine times and had 17 lead changes.
The Buffs had four players in double-figures, led by junior forward Richard Higginbotham's career-high 18 points, to go with a game-high nine rebounds, helping WTAMU to a 39-33 rebounding advantage.
Senior guard Rod Prater netted 16 points, including three 3-pointers, while Lamb chipped in with 12 points to go with a game-high five assists, and Campbell added 10 points.
ACU was led by Lee's 20 points, draining four treys, while David Baxter tallied 12 points, 10 in the second half. Baxter went for 37 points in ACU's loss to Angelo State on Monday.
The Wildcats led by as much as seven points in the first half, at 36-29, on a pair of free throws by Lee, with 4:43 until halftime.
The Buffs closed out the half with a 9-2 run to close out the half, capped by a Campbell jumper with 33 seconds left to tie the score at 38-all at the half.
ACU opened up six point leads three different times in the second half, but couldn't put WTAMU away, and the Buffs wouldn't go down without a fight, eventually taking a 65-62 lead with 2:44 to play on a three-point play from Higginbotham.
A layup by ACU's Cliff Green and then two free throws by Matai gave the Wildcats a 66-65 lead with 58 seconds remaining on the clock.
Prater tied the score at 66-all by hitting the first of two free throws, setting up ACU's game-winning attempt and Lamb's heroics.
WTAMU's regular season finale is Saturday at San Angelo, Texas, when the Buffs face Angelo State in an 8 p.m. LSC South clash.
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