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Buffs Win Fifth-Straight With 77-72 Victory Over Rams Saturday
Feb. 29, 2004
SAN ANGELO, Texas - The West Texas A&M University men's basketball team turned back the Angelo State University Rams, 77-72, Saturday, in a Lone Star Conference South division contest and the final regular season game for both teams, as WTAMU junior guard Carl Lamb netted a game and career-high 25 points.
Lamb tallied 18 second-half points in leading WTAMU from a 35-31 halftime deficit, and also tied a game-high by pulling down eight rebounds.
Senior forward Jason Campbell posted 17 points, 11 in the second half, while senior guard Eduardo Caviglia and Rod Prater added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Junior forward Richard Higginbotham tied Lamb with a game-high eight rebounds for WTAMU, which enters the LSC Tournament as the No. 3 seed out of the South with an 18-9 overall and 8-4 LSC South mark.
The Buffs will travel to Tahlequah, Okla. on Tuesday, March 2, to face the No. 2 seed from the North, Northeastern State University, 17-10 overall, 9-3 in the LSC North. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. at NSU's Dobbin Field House.
Angelo State, which finished the season 12-15 overall, 2-10 in LSC South action, suffers its first losing season in six years and also leaves head coach Joe Esposito at 99 career wins. Saturday night the Rams were led by Nate Gordon's 23 points, followed by 17 points from Matt Hardin.
WTAMU had a shortlived lead at 9-8 with 13:37 remaining in the first half on a pair of Lamb free throws, but then trailed the majority of the remaining time, again taking a short lead at 36-35 48 seconds into the second half on two free throws by Campbell.
However, the Rams retook the lead shortly thereafter, opening a 43-38 lead at the 16:48 mark. After a 3-pointer by ASU's Gordon tied the game at 50-50, Prater gave the Buffs the lead for good, hitting one-of-two free throws with 10:42 to play.
WTAMU extended the lead to 65-58 with 4:15 remaining on a Campbell free throw.
ASU pulled within 73-70 on another 3-pointer from Gordon with 16 seconds left, but Higginbotham gave the Buffs secured the win by hitting two free throws with 14 seconds on the clock.
WTAMU faced NSU earlier this season, back on Dec. 4 at Tahlequah, with the Redmen grabbing a 62-47 win. This will also be a rematch of last year's LSC Tournament semifinal game, in which the Buffs upset NSU, who went on to win the National Championship.
Fans can catch Tuesday's contest on the Buffalo Sports Network on KGNC 710 AM or on www.gobuffsgo.com.
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