Jan. 12, 2004

The West Texas A&M University men's basketball team will be going for its seventh-straight victory when the Buffs take on Oklahoma Panhandle State University in a non-conference contest on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. at the WTAMU Event Center, following the women's contest vs. Eastern New Mexico.

Fans who can't make it to the game can tune into the Buffalo Sports Network, on KGNC 710 AM or streamed on the Internet at www.gobuffsgo.com.

About WTAMU
The Buffs are 9-4 overall, having won six in row, after coming from as much as 18 points in the first half to defeat Cameron University, 87-81 in overtime, on Saturday.

Rod Prater, a 6-1 senior guard, who leads the LSC and is eighth in the nation in scoring, netted a team-high 20 points. Carl Lamb, a 6-2 junior guard, netted 17 points off the bench, while 6-4 senior forward Jason Campbell added 10 points in the first half and finished with 14 points, and 6-8 junior forward Carlos Silva tallied 13.

The Buffs took the lead for the first time in the game at 62-61 with 5:50 to play in the second half on a pair of free throws by 6-0 sophomore guard Keenan Hooker.

The lead went back and forth and the Aggies had a 75-73 lead, before 6-7 junior forward Richard Higginbotham drained a pair of free throws with three seconds on the clock to tie it. CU's game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark and sent the game into the extra session.

It was the third OT game for the Buffs and just the first for the Aggies, as WTAMU improved to 3-0 in OT games. The Buffs opened with a 7-2 run, capped by a steal from Prater. Prater dished to Lamb whose lay-up put the Buffs up, 82-77, with 1:34 left in the game.

Cameron pulled to 82-81 with 30 seconds left, but WTAMU hit 5-6 free throws down the stretch for the victory.

On the season, Prater leads the Buffs with a 21.1 points per game average. Eduardo Caviglia, a 6-2 junior guard, nets 12.6 ppg. Lamb chips in 11.3 ppg, while Higginbotham pulls down a team-high 6.2 rebounds per contest.

About OPSU
Oklahoma Panhandle State comes into Tuesday's contest still searching for its first victory, presently 0-11 on the year. OPSU is playing under interim head coach Ricky Thomas, who took over for Earl Trice, who resigned on Dec. 30, a day after WTAMU defeated OPSU, 68-66, at Goodwell, Okla.

The Aggies lost on the road to Drury, 88-71, Saturday at Springfield, Mo. The game was tied at halftime and OPSU was only down, 65-63 with 8:50 left, before Drury pulled away with a 15-2 run over the next five minutes to opened an 80-65 lead. The Aggies drew within nine before Drury put the game away in the final minute.

Kenneth Barrett, a 6-2 senior guard, torched the nets for a game-high 36 points Saturday. Andrew Harlie, a 6-7 senior center, tallied 15 points for the Aggies. OPSU has been outscored by its opponents, by an average of 91.2 - 64.1.* The Aggies are averaging 18.7 turnovers per contest.

Barrett leads the Aggies with 23.9 ppg* and 3.6 rpg, and Saturday was the third time this season that he has tallied 30 or more points. Harlie adds 16.2 ppg and pulls down 6.2 rpg. Jecorey Leggins, a 6-4 junior forward, adds 10.2 ppg and a team-high 7.6 rpg. (*Stats incomplete, through 10 of 11 games played)

Buffs-Aggies Series History
This will be the second meeting between WTAMU and OPSU this season, as the shorthanded Buffs defeated the Aggies, 68-66, on Dec. 29 at Goodwell, Okla., hitting 2-4 free throws in the final 16 seconds to claim victory.

WTAMU leads the all-time series, 44-4, having won 17 of the last 18 meetings, including this season's first match-up. The Buffs won 16-straight meetings between 1987-88 season and last year, before the Aggies stopped the streak with a 79-75 victory at Goodwell.

Buffs' Next Action
WTAMU continues its two-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 17 with an LSC crossover doubleheader with Tarleton State University. The women's game begins at 6 p.m., followed by the men's contest.

-WT-