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Dec. 30, 2004

Box Score

The West Texas A&M University men's basketball team snapped a four-game losing streak with a 64-63 victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State University Thursday night in a non-conference contest at the WTAMU Event Center.

The Buffs improve to 4-7 on the year after snapping a four-game skid. OPSU suffered its 10th-straight loss and dropped to 2-11 on the year.

WTAMU holds a commanding 47-4 all-time series lead, sweeping this year's meetings after a 69-66 win at Goodwell, Okla., back on Nov. 22.

Senior forward Jamil Terrell netted team-high 17 points and tied a game-high by pulling down eight rebounds and had three blocked shots. Senior forward Richard Higginbotham had 10 points in the second half, including hitting back-to-back 3-pointers, and finished with 12 points off the bench.

OPSU was led by Nick Malinowski's 19 points, including five 3-pointers, while Jecorey Leggins added 12 points in reserve.

WTAMU had a 41.8 percent (23-55) field goal percentage, including 6-22 (27.3 percent) from 3-point land, and were an icy 12-27 (44.4 percent) from the free throw line.

OPSU shot 42.4 percent (25-59) from the field, including 6-24 (25.0 percent) from behind the 3-point arc, and were a perfect 7-7 (100 percent) from the charity stripe.

The Buffs took a 21-11 lead with 6:48 to go on a free throw from senior forward Carlos Silva, who had a team-high eight points in the first half.

OPSU closed to 28-25 with 54 seconds left in the half on a jumper from Eddie Moss, and had a chance to get closer, but Terrell swatted a layup from Tim Anderson out-of-bounds with six seconds left on the game clock and one second on the shot clock. Moss got off a flailing 3-point attempt that was rebounded by Higginbotham and who hit Terrell for a runner in the lane that went through the net as the halftime horn sounded sending the Buffs to the locker room with a 30-25 lead.

OPSU took the lead for the first time in the game at 43-42 with 11:24 to go on a layup from Malinowski but WTAMU countered to take a 53-48 advantage on a 3-pointer from junior guard Govinda Thomas-Carter with 7:49 left in the game.

After the Buffs took a 62-55 lead with 2:18 to go on a Terrell layup, the Aggies closed to 64-61 with 24 ticks on the clock on a layup from Ramon McDaniel.

OPSU got the ball back with 17 seconds left, but Malinowski's game-tying 3-pointer attempt with 10 seconds to go was off the mark. Higginbotham garnered the rebound and was fouled, but missed the ensuing free throw and OPSU's Ale Burt grabbed the rebound.

The Buffs defended for a 3-pointer and Leggins drove the lane and hit a layup at the final horn.

WTAMU resumes Lone Star Conference action on Thursday, Jan. 6, when the Lady Buffs and Buffs host Northeastern State University in a LSC crossover doubleheader at the WTAMU Event Center at 6 and 8 p.m. The University of Central Oklahoma comes to the Event Center on Saturday, Jan. 8 for another LSC crossover doubleheader, also at 6 and 8 p.m.

Call the WTAMU Athletics Ticket Office at (806) 651-4424 for more information, or visit the official WTAMU Athletics web site at www.gobuffsgo.com.

-WT-