Feb. 8, 2004

The West Texas A&M University men's basketball team opens a four-game homestand on Monday, Feb. 9, as the Buffs host border-rival Eastern New Mexico University in a 7 p.m. tip-off at the WTAMU Event Center.

The Buffs are currently in fourth-place in the Lone Star Conference South division, while ENMU is atop the division, a half game ahead of Texas A&M-Kingsville.

Fans can tune into the Buffalo Sports Network, on KGNC 710 AM or streamed on the Internet at www.gobuffsgo.com.

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About The Teams

The Buffs bring a 13-8 overall and an even 3-3 LSC South ledger into Monday's game, making their-season debut at No. 9 in the latest NCAA-II South Central Regional Rankings {Complete South Central Rankings}.

WTAMU has lost two in row, most recently an 86-69 decision to Midwestern State University on Saturday at Wichita Falls, Texas, snapping WTAMU's four-game win streak against MSU in the series. The Buffs never led in Saturday's game, and were only tied twice, at 2-2 and 4-4. WTAMU pulled within 22-20, before MSU erupted for a 23-5 run to break the game open. The Buffs cut the deficit to nine late in the game, but couldn't get any closer.

Eastern New Mexico is 15-6 overall and 5-1 in LSC South action. The Greyhounds defeated Midwestern State, 79-76, on Thursday at Wichita Falls, for ENMU's fourth-straight victory. The Greyhounds are ranked sixth in the South Central Regional rankings.

The Coaches

WTAMU head coach Rick Cooper (Wayland Baptist, 1981), who is in his 10th year at the helm of the Buffs, is WTAMU's all-time winningest head coach. Cooper became WTAMU's all-time winningest coach with in the Buffs' win at Southwestern Oklahoma on Jan. 8. Cooper currently has 212 wins, passing Sam Burton's 206 wins from 1921-1933. With a 212-98 (.684) overall record, Cooper currently is fourth on WTAMU's Best Winning Percentage list.

Cooper is a three-time LSC Coach of the Year (1993-'94, 1997-'98, 1998-'99), as well as NABC South Central Regional Coach of the Year (1997-'98).

The Buffs have won three LSC titles under Cooper and been to the NCAA Regional Tournament five times, including three in the last four years.

Eastern New Mexico head coach Shawn Scanlan (Kansas, 1978) is in his fourth year at the leash of the Greyhounds, maintaining a 54-48 (.529) record at ENMU. In his 18 years of head coaching, including junior college, Scanlan has a 322-208 (.608) career record. Scanlan led the Greyhounds to the LSC South crown last year, advancing to the semifinals of the LSC Tournament, where they were defeated by Tarleton State.

About WTAMU

The Buffs bring a 13-8 overall and an even 3-3 LSC South ledger into Monday's game, making their-season debut at No. 9 in the latest NCAA-II South Central Regional Rankings {Complete South Central Rankings}.

WTAMU has lost two in row, most recently an 86-69 decision to Midwestern State University on Saturday at Wichita Falls, Texas, snapping WTAMU's four-game win streak against MSU in the series. The Buffs never led in Saturday's game, and were only tied twice, at 2-2 and 4-4. WTAMU pulled within 22-20, before MSU erupted for a 23-5 run to break the game open. The Buffs cut the deficit to nine late in the game, but couldn't get any closer.

Turnovers again led to the demise of the Buffs, as they committed 29 turnovers, one short of their season-high. MSU scored 27 points off WTAMU miscues. It was the Buffs' 11th game this season with 20 or more turnovers.

WTAMU had three players in double-figures, led by 6-1 senior guard Rod Prater with 15 points, as well as dishing out a game-high six assists and swiping three steals.

Keenan Hooker, a 6-0 sophomore guard, came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points, all in the second half, draining 4-6 3-pointers, while 6-7 junior forward Richard Higginbotham tallied 12 points to go with eight rebounds. Jason Campbell, a 6-4 senior forward, pulled down a game-high nine boards.

As a team, WTAMU leads the conference statistics in 3-point FG pct. (.395), and ranks second in free throw pct. (.706), 3-point FG made (168, 8.00 pg) and blocked shots (73, 3.5 bpg), as well as third in field goal pct. (.483).

The Buffs rank 25th in the NCAA-II statistics in 3-point FG pct., as well as 43rd in 3-point FG made and 25th in field goal pct.

Taking care of the ball is an attribute for victory for WTAMU, who is 9-0 when committing fewer turnovers than the opposition, but is 4-8 when committing the same or more turnovers.

On the season, 6-1 senior guard Rod Prater leads the Buffs with a 20.1 points per game average, which ranks second in the LSC in scoring. He also is fifth in the conference in 3-point FG made (49, 2.6 pg), as well as seventh in free throw percentage (.757), eighth in steals (1.95 spg) and ninth in assists (3.53 apg).

Eduardo Caviglia, a 6-4 senior guard, nets 10.2 ppg. Caviglia is third in the conference and 16th in the country in 3-point FG pct (.441), as well as third in the conference and 38th in the nation in 3-pointers per game (52, 2.6 pg).

The third member of the Buffs' three-guard attack and WTAMU's sixth-man is 6-1 junior guard Carl Lamb, who is 22nd in the LSC in scoring with 12.2 ppg. Lamb also ranks fourth is 3-point FG pct. (.438), as well as fifth in both free throw percentage (.775) and assists (3.6 apg).

Inside, Richard Higginbotham, a 6-7 junior forward, pulls down a team-high 6.2 rebounds per contest, which ranks tied for 12th in the conference. Higginbotham would lead the conference in FT pct (.889), but he doesn't meet the required minimum of 2.0 FT per game.

Carlos Silva, a 6-8 junior forward, leads the LSC and is 21st in the country in blocked shots (43, 2,05 bpg). Silva would lead the conference in field goal percentage (.641), but he also doesn't meet the minimum of 3.0 FG per game.

The third post player for WTAMU, 6-4 senior forward Jason Campbell, is 17th in the league in rebounding with 5.8 rpg and is 30th in scoring with 11.1 ppg.

Campbell's Average Climbing

Jason Campbell has nearly doubled his scoring average and increased his rebounding average in the last 14 games. The 6-4 senior forward was averaging just 5.4 ppg and 4.4 through the Buffs' first seven games.

In WTAMU's last 14 games since that time, Campbell is averaging 14.4 ppg, including 16.2 in WTAMU's LSC South games, to up his average to 11.1 ppg on the season. He has also averaged 6.4 rebounds per contest in those last 14 games, increasing his season-average to 6.2 rpg. As far as helping the team, the Buffs have won 10 of those 14 games, after losing the previous three contests.

WTAMU At Home

The Buffs are 7-2 at home this season, having a four-game home win streak snapped in a 63-60 loss to Tarleton State on Jan. 17. Overall, WTAMU is 21-8 at the WTAMU Event Center. WTAMU's longest home win streak is six games, including the last five home games last season and the first home game this season.

The Buffs are 2-1 vs. ENMU at the WTAMU Event Center, as the Greyhounds won the first meeting in the facility on the final game of the 2001-02 regular-season, 81-77 in OT. WTAMU claimed both meetings on its home court last year, winning 82-65 on Nov. 30 in the WTAMU Papa John's Thanksgiving Shootout, behind 17 points apiece from Rod Prater and Eduardo Caviglia. The Buffs won the LSC South match-up on Feb. 10, 69-63, getting 16 points from Prater as WTAMU dealt ENMU, who entered the game atop the LSC South division standings, its first division loss.

About ENMU

Eastern New Mexico is 15-6 overall and 5-1 in LSC South action. The Greyhounds defeated Midwestern State, 79-76, on Thursday at Wichita Falls, for ENMU's fourth-straight victory. The Greyhounds are ranked sixth in the South Central Regional rankings.

Against MSU, 6-5 junior forward Jamaal Hunnicutt netted a game-high 23 points and swiped four steals. Jamal Washington, a 6-3 junior guard, and 6-3 junior forward Kennis Green came off the bench to scored 15 and 14 points respectively, while 6-5 junior forward Travazz Buckley added 11 points. Hunnicutt and Buckley shared game-high rebounding honors, pulling down nine apiece.

Hunnicutt gave ENMU a three-point lead with eight seconds left and MSU missed two game-tying 3-pointers in the final seconds.

As a team, ENMU leads the conference and is 22nd in the nation in rebounding margin (+6.5), and also lead the league in assists (16.57 apg). The Greyhounds rank third in the conference in both free throw percentage (.711) and steals (9.48 spg) and tied for third in blocked shots (3.43 bpg). ENMU is eighth in scoring offense (74.0 ppg) and fourth in scoring defense (68.2 ppg), ranking sixth in the league in scoring margin (+5.8). The Greyhounds are seventh in field goal pct. (.421) and 10th in 3-point FG pct. (.346), ranking last in 3-point FG made (85, 4.0 pg). ENMU fifth in FG pct. defense (.421) and 13th in 3-point FG defense (.366).

The Greyhounds have four players averaging in double-figures, led by 6-4 junior guard Kennis Green, ranking 20th in the LSC in scoring with 13.1 ppg. Green netted 14 points on Thursday. Green ranks 13th in the LSC in 3-point FG made (43, 2.05 pg).

Garland Coleman, a 6-3 senior guard, is second in the conference and 22nd in the nation in field goal percentage (.582), and is also 24th in the LSC in scoring (11.8 ppg).

Jamaal Hunnicutt, a 6-5 junior forward, is ENMU's second-leading scorer with an 11.9 ppg average. He ranks second in the league in rebounding (8.9 rpg), fifth in blocked shots (1.19 bpg), ninth in steals (1.95 spg), 10th in assists (3.2 apg) and 29th in scoring.

Travazz Buckley, a 6-5 junior forward, nets 11.7 ppg and is second on the team with 7.7 rpg.

Brent Cooper, a 6-1 senior guard, is second in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.85) and is eighth in assists (3.43 apg).

Buffs-Greyhounds Series History

WTAMU leads the all-time series, 48-11, but ENMU has won four of the last six meetings after WTAMU had won the previous 12-straight match-ups. The Greyhounds defeated the Buffs, 89-74 last Monday, as WTAMU lost its third-straight to ENMU at Portales, N.M.

Last Meeting: Buffs Run Over By Greyhounds, 89-74, Monday (Feb. 2, 2004)
WTAMU's Third-Straight Loss At Portales; ENMU Takes Over LSC South Lead

PORTALES, N.M. - West Texas A&M University was run over by a Greyhound, actually a whole team of them, as the Buffs lost to Eastern New Mexico, 89-74, Monday at ENMU's Greyhound Arena at Portales, N.M. in a Lone Star Conference South division showdown for the divisional lead.

WTAMU dropped its third-straight to ENMU at Greyhound Arena, the site where the Buffs captured the LSC Tournament Championship last season. The Buffs are now 13-7 overall and 3-2 in LSC South action.

ENMU improves to 14-6 overall and 4-1 in the LSC South, having won three in a row.

WTAMU falls out of the four-way tie for first-place in the division, while ENMU takes the divisional lead, a half-game ahead of Midwestern State, which the Greyhounds play Thursday and the Buffs face Saturday. The other team in the four-way tie, Texas A&M-Kingsville, suffered a 62-61 loss to Texas A&M-Commerce.

Monday night, senior guard Rod Prater tallied a game-high 22 points, with 11 points in each half, finishing the night with five 3-pointers, while junior guard Carl Lamb netted 20 points, including 18 in the second half, to go with a team-high five assists. Senior forward Jason Campbell maintained his scoring streak, registering 17 points to go with a team-high eight rebounds.

ENMU, which lit up the scoreboard for 59 second-half points, had three players in double figures, led by Jamaal Hunnicutt's double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, as well as a game-high seven assists, while Kennis Green came off the bench to score 17 points. Garland Coleman netted 14 points, followed by Travazz Buckley with 11 points.

The Greyhounds outrebounded the Buffs, 33-27, and forced 21 WTAMU turnovers.

ENMU shot a blistering 61.1 percent (36-63) from the field, including 6-10 (60.0 percent) from 3-point land. The Greyhounds came into the game 11th in the conference statistics in 3-point percentage (33.0 percent) and last in 3-point FG made (4.0 pg). WTAMU had a 47.4 shooting percentage (27-57), including 7-17 (41.2 percent) from behind the arc.

ENMU led 30-27 at the half. WTAMU took a 23-22 lead with 6:18 to play, the sixth lead change of the first half, on a pair of free throws from junior forward Carlos Silva.

The Buffs didn't score again for the next 5:26, meanwhile ENMU reeled off six unanswered points to take a 28-23 lead with 3:35 left in the half on a bucket by Irshaun Pinckney. Lamb scored with 52 seconds left, to end the Buffs' drought. Campbell hit a two free throws to pull WTAMU to within 28-27 with 32.8 seconds remaining in the half.

However, ENMU's Garland Coleman hit a running layup with eight seconds left to give the Greyhounds their 30-27 halftime lead.

Coleman tallied 10 points in the first half, offsetting Prater, who led all scorers with 11 points at the break.

The Buffs' Achilles heel in the first half was turnovers, as they committed 14 miscues, compared to 13 for the Greyhounds. ENMU also outrebounded WTAMU, 16-13 in the first half.

After the Buffs cut the lead to one, the Greyhounds erupted for nine unanswered points to take a 39-29 lead with 17:54 left and forcing at WTAMU timeout.

The Buffs chipped away, whittling the deficit to 45-40 with 14:04 to play on a bucket by Lamb.

However, from there, the Greyhounds were off to the races, running away with a 21-5 streak to take a 66-45 lead, capped by a 3-pointer by Edmound Elzy at the 8:57 mark.

The Buffs cut the score to 76-65 with 3:06 to play on a pair of charity shots from Lamb. Prater netted three treys down the stretch to keep the Greyhounds from leaving the Buffs in the dust.

Last Action: Buffs Speared By Indians, 86-69, Saturday (Feb. 7, 2004)
WTAMU Routed For Second-Straight Game

WICHITA FALLS, Texas - The West Texas A&M University men's basketball team suffered its second-straight double-digit loss, being routed by Midwestern State University, 86-69 , Saturday in a Lone Star Conference South division contest.

The Buffs were dropped by Eastern New Mexico on Monday, 89-74, capping WTAMU's two worst back-to-back losses since a 76-56 and 62-47 losses to Southwestern Oklahoma and Northeastern State, respectively.

WTAMU's record is now 13-8 overall and 3-3 in LSC South action, while MSU improves to 14-7 overall and 4-2 in LSC South play.

Saturday night, MSU pulled away from a 22-20 lead with a 23-5 eruption to break the game open and never looked back, as the Indians snapped the Buffs' four-game win streak in the series.

Senior guard Rod Prater led three WTAMU players in double-figures with 15 points and dished out a game-high six assists and swiped three steals.

Sophomore guard Keenan Hooker came off the bench to score a career-high 14 points, all in the second half, draining 4-6 3-pointers, while junior forward Richard Higginbotham tallied 12 points to go with eight rebounds. Senior forward Jason Campbell pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.

MSU had three starters post double-digits, led by 24 points from Marquette Wilkins, 17 in the first half, while Josh Drumgole netted 16 points, followed by 15 points from P.J. Randall. Drumgole pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, leading MSU to a 36-33 rebounding advantage.

The Buffs shot 56.7 percent (17-30) from the field, and finished the night 27-55 (49.1 percent). However, WTAMU was hampered by a 10-23 (43.5 percent) effort from the free throw line and the Buffs committed 29 turnovers, the second-highest of the season.

Meanwhile, MSU had a 55.7 shooting percentage, including 3-9 (33.3 percent) from 3-point land, but also turned the ball over a lot, committing 23 miscues.

WTAMU never led in Saturday's contest, and only tied MSU twice, at 2-2 and 4-4.

Prater hit a layup to pull WTAMU within 22-20 with 8:48 remaining in the opening half, before the Indians went on their run to open the game up, taking a 45-29 halftime lead. The Buffs didn't make a field goal over the last 4:55 of the half, hitting only five free throws over that stretch.

The deficit climbed to 27 points twice, the last at 69-42 with 12:08 left, before WTAMU chipped away at MSU's lead, spearheaded by Hooker, who hit a trio of treys in the Buffs' 17-4 run over the next four minutes, a capped by a dunk from junior forward Carlos Silva to make the score 73-59 at the 8:16 mark.

Another 3-ball from Hooker dropped the margin to nine at 76-67 with 4:59 remaining, but the Buffs only scored two points from there on out.

Buffs' Next Action

The Buffs have a rematch against Midwestern State on Saturday, Feb. 14, in a 6 and 8 p.m. doubleheader with the Lady Buffs at the WTAMU Event Center.

Saturday will be "Take A Kid To The Game," an NCAA sponsored event with kids 12 and under admitted free when accompanied by a paid adult, with adult general admission ticket costing $4. For more information, click here to read WTAMU Release, or contact the WTAMU Ticket Office at 806-651-1414.

Fans can catch the action on the Buffalo Sports Network on KGNC 710 AM and www.gobuffsgo.com.

-WT-