KINGSVILLE, Texas – Cris Boleware tied a career-high with 19 points but the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team dropped a 72-68 decision to the Midwestern State Mustangs on Saturday afternoon in Kingsville, Texas at the Steinke Physical Education Center.
Boleware shot 6-of-11 from the floor and 3-of-5 from three-point land on the way to his best performance of the season. Caelan Neal also contributed 10 points.
FIRST HALF
Trey Sumpter started the scoring with a triple and Trey Kennedy responded with a jumper for MSU. Each sided continued trading buckets until Brandon Neel dropped one in from long range to give the Mustangs their first lead at 9-7, but Johnathan Lindsey responded in kind and Boleware added a jumper.
The 'Stangs tied the game 40 seconds later and the teams went back forth until 8:34 remained in the half. That's when Will West knocked down a jump shot and Derrick Byrd tossed in a triple, putting TAMUK up 21-16.
With 6:07 remaining, Kennedy ended nearly two minutes of scoreless basketball with a pair of foul shots and Wanaah Bail brought MSU to within one with two more from the charity stripe. A three-point play by Neel gave the visitors a two-point edge and they soon stretched that lead to five, closing out a 10-0 run with a layup by Bail. Three free throws by the Hogs and another Bail layup made the score 28-24 and Devante Pullum added two foul shots to put the Mustangs ahead by six. Neal canned a three and it was answered by Kennedy, who converted a layup and then two more from the foul line. Byrd drew his team to within four by scoring four at 35-31 of the final five points of the half.
SECOND HALF
A triple by Neal drew the Javs to within one and, after Kennedy hit a jumper, Neal drilled another trey to tie the game at 37. A three-point play by Pullum moved the Mustangs back in front, but a basket by Stevenson sliced their lead to one and Neal tied things again with a free throw. Following a foul shot by Bail, Sumpter skied for a one-handed jam and a 42-41 advantage, but Bail came back by putting together a three-point play. Pullum pushed MSU's lead to four and a West three-point play cut it back to one.
Pullum hit two free throws and a Neel threw down dunk and MSU moved up, 50-45. After Boleware swished a jumper, each team converted from beyond the arc and also added two, keeping the sides three points apart. One free throw for the Mustangs and two for the Javelinas put the score at 56-54 and two foul shots by Neel were answered by two courtesy of Boleware.
With 3:46 to play, Midwestern State put together the first run of the second half, scoring six straight points to go up 64-56. TAMUK got within four with 90 seconds left, but could not complete the comeback as free throws by the Mustangs sealed the game.
The Javelinas will be on road on Thursday when they face Texas A&M-Commerce at 7:30 p.m. Receive content for Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball by following @JavelinaMBB on Twitter and Instagram, like the official Facebook page of Javelina athletics (/JavelinaSports), and subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube channel.
