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Men's Basketball

Javelinas Survive and Advance

Chip Jones and Flavio Milam snuff a Lions shot on Thursday  BARTLESVILLE, OKLAHOMA – The goal for any basketball team in March is to survive and advance and that is exactly what the Texas A&M-Kingsville men’s basketball did on Thursday night in the first round of the Lone Star Conference Tournament.  The Javelinas knocked off Texas A&M-Commerce, 50-48 in the Bruin Field House.  (box score)

The Javelinas (19-9) and Lions (17-11) battled throughout the game with neither team grabbing control of the game.  Late in the game, the Hoggies were clinging to a 49-48 lead and twice turned the ball over and each time the defense came up with a big play to prevent the Lions from taking the lead.  Royce Gaye (Houston/Klein HS) made 1-of-2 free throws with 4.8 seconds remaining to give the Javs a 50-48 lead.  Cardell Hunter’s last ditch three-pointer for the Lions was just off the mark at the buzzer.

“It was a tremendous defensive effort by both teams,” said Javelina head coach Pete Peterson.  “It was exactly the type of game I thought it would be.”

At the start of the game, the Javelinas got off to a slow start turning the ball over five times and not scoring in the first five minutes of the game.  “We were a little anxious to start the game, but were able to settle down,” said the coach.

In the first half, the Javelina offense was junior Adan Montalvo (La Joya/La Joya HS).  He came off the bench and scored 14 of the team’s first 16 points.  “I just hit open shots,” said Montalvo.  “My teammates found me and I was ready to shoot the ball.”

Unfortunately, Montalvo may have been the only player on either team who was ready to shoot the ball.  In the first half, the Javelinas shot 33.3 percent from the field and the Lions were no better at 28.0 percent.  The Lions led 19-10 with 6:44 to play in the half after two free throws by Dallas Hunter, but the Javelinas would outscore them 23-5 over the next 7:51 to take a 33-24 lead with 18:53 remaining in the game.

The Lions tightened up their defense and pulled to a 35-35 tie with 13:36 to play after a free throw by Hunter.  Two minutes later Hunter knocked down a pair of foul shots to give the Lions a 37-35 lead with 11:34 remaining.

The teams traded buckets over the next few minutes until the Hoggies took a 42-40 lead on a layup by Montalvo with 8:52 to play.  From that point on the two teams combined to make five field goals over the remainder of the game.

The Javs looked to be pulling away after a thunderous dunk from Chip Jones (Fort Worth/N. Richland Hills HS) gave the team a 46-41 lead with 5:14 left.  The Javs did not score for three and a half minutes while the Lions would claw back into the game.  A Rashad Brown layup and free throw with 2:19 to play tied the game at 46 all.

The next series of events may have been the difference in the game.  First, Wendell Mulkey (San Antonio/East Central HS) was fouled and made the front end of a 1-and-1 for the Javelinas.  He missed the second shot, but Flavio Milam (Killeen/Ellison HS) came down with the offensive rebound.  He would later score to give the team a three-point lead.  Deundrae Spraggins made two free throws for the Lions on the next possession to set up the final minute’s drama.  “That rebound and score was the play of the game for us,” said Peterson.

The Javelinas finished the game shooting 32.0 percent from the field, made 6-of-18 three-pointers and were 12-of-18 at the foul line.  Montalvo led the team with 16 points, including three trifectas, and two steals.  Clyde Johnson (San Antonio/Converse Judson HS) added 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks.  Milam just missed a double-double with nine points and eight rebounds. 

The Lions were led by Spraggins who had 11 points and Brown who had 10 points and seven rebounds.  They shot 31.8 percent from the field as a team, made 2-of-9 three-pointers and were 18-of-24 at the foul line.

The Javelinas had a 40-33 advantage on the boards, but committed one more turnover than the Lions.

The Javelinas advance to the LSC semifinals for the first time since the 2003-04 season.  They will take on the winner of the Cameron-Midwestern State game on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.  The game can be heard on KTAI 91.1 FM and can be watched online at www.lonestarconference.tv.
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