Kingsville – It was an early-season game with post-season intensity as the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas beat their nemesis, Central Oklahoma 72-62 at Kleberg Bank Court. The victory improved the Javelinas record to 6-0, a school record for consecutive wins to start the season.
Central Oklahoma, which beat the Javelinas twice and kept them out of the NCAA Tournament last year, fell to 4-3.
Remi Yusuf and Stephen Story each scored 17 points to lead four players in double figures. Story also had a team-high four steals.
Reggie Love added 12 points off the bench and Wendell Mulkey had 10 points, six assists and three steals. Guard Rickey Huckaby had seven points, six assists and two steals before fouling out.
Sam Belt and Brian Walker each had 14 for the Bronchos.
The Javelinas shot 50 percent from the floor, 62 percent in the second half.
Texas A&M-Kingsville also forced a season-high 32 turnovers, many as a result of a season-high 15 steals.
“Last year we couldn’t handle them. They had our number,” said Javelina head coach Pete Peterson. “This game was important for regional rankings. They knew it and we knew it. It was a test of wills and defensively we did it again.”
Mulkey was the key for the Javelinas, coming up with key steals throughout the second half.
“I’m very hard on my point guards in practice,” said Peterson. “I expect a lot and Wendell made things happen out there.”
Neither team scored a basket in the final two and a half minutes, but the Javelinas managed to out-score the Broncos 6-1 to end the game.
Yusuf made the Javelinas’ final basket of the game, a fade-way 3-point bucket with 2:50 remaining to increase the lead to seven, 66-59.
The Bronchos cut it to 66-61, but after Mulkey hit a free throw to make it a six-point game, 67-61, Yusuf came up with a steal, the Javelinas’ 15th of the game and called a timeout with 1:25 remaining.
Love was fouled with 1:16 left, made the first free throw, missed the second, but Story grabbed a crucial offensive rebound to keep the ball with the Javelinas.
Yusuf made three free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
After scoring the final nine points to grab a 33-24 halftime lead, the Javelinas turned the ball over on their first two possessions of the second half the Bronchos scored the first five points of the second half to cut the lead to four, 33-29.
Wendell Mulkey then forced a turnover and Story hit a layup on the fast break to increase the lead back to six, 34-29 with 17:51 left in the second half.
Peterson, unhappy with his team’s start, called a timeout immediately after Story’s basket.
Mulkey then came up with another steal and assisted another Story basket to make it 37-31.
After Central cut it to 37-34, Mulkey came up with another steal and drove the length of the floor to score, Reggie Love then stole the ball and Story scored on another running layup to increase the lead to 41-34.
But the Bronchos put together a 7-0 run tie the game at 41 with 13:16 remaining.
Juan Lanauze ended the run with a hook shot off the glass and made the ensuing free throw to regain the lead 44-41.
Central Oklahoma grabbed its first lead of the second half at 48-46, but three consecutive points by Story, one on a free throw and the second on a layup as a result of a steal by Love, gave the Hogs the lead back at 51-48.
The lead grew to four after Mulkey hit a jumper and a free throw to make it 54-50. Story then came up with another steal, Kia Griffin was fouled and hit one free throw to make it 55-50.
The lead increased to six, 57-51 when Lanauze hit a jumper at the 7:30 left in the game.
Huckaby’s jumper at the 6:20 mark made it an eight-point lead, 61-53.
Kia Griffin made a key defensive play with five and a half minutes when he drew a charging foul. A minute later, Huckaby took a gutsy charging call with four fouls of his own.
Both teams started the game slowly with the Javelinas hitting just two if their first 11 shots and the Bronchos made only one of their first seven while turning the ball over four times.
The two teams combined to score just seven points in the first five minutes.
Things didn’t improve much in the first 14 minutes for the Javelinas as they hit just seven of their first 23 shots for just 30 percent accuracy. The Javelinas were also out-rebounded 17-11, but trailed by two points, 18-16, by forcing 11 turnovers.
But the Javelinas became energized after a timeout, scoring six straight to grab a 22-18 lead with four and a half minutes left in the half.
But the Bronchos tied the game at 24 with 1:50 left in the half.
But the Javelinas put together an incredible 9-0 run to end the half and take a 33-24 lead into the locker room.
Stephen Story scored on a layup out of the halfcourt offense off a brilliant assist from Yusuf with 1:22 remaining. Wendell Mulkey then stole the ball, drove the length of the floor and scored on a layup. Yusuf then hit a 3-point shot on the next possession; Story stole the ball and then scored on a layup off an assist from Kia Griffin with three seconds left in the half to cap the rally.
The Javelinas hit seven of their final 10 shots of the half and hit 42 percent from the floor.
Texas A&M-Kingsville forced 17 first half turnovers.
Yusuf and reserve guard Reggie Love led the Javelinas in scoring in the first half with nine apiece.
