AUSTIN, Texas – Behind 15 points from junior Chauncey Thomas (Plano, Texas) and junior Kyren Block's (San Antonio, Texas) first career double-double, the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team rolled past the No. 14 St. Edward's Hilltoppers, 69-58, on Saturday evening in Austin, Texas at the Recreation and Convocation Center.
"I thought this was a great team win in all facets of the game," said coach Johnny Estelle. "I was extremely happy with our defensive efforts and that everyone contributed to this victory. Kyren Block played a phenomenal game and had a positive impact on the boards. I thought our spirit made this win possible. I'd also like to thank all the Javelina fans, parents and families that attended the game. You made a difference tonight."
Thomas hit five-of-11 shots from the floor and drained all five of his foul shots while setting a new Javelina career high. Block was also perfect on seven attempts from the charity stripe and dominated on the glass with 12 rebounds, four more than any other player, while totaling 11 points. Junior Rashon Thomas (Houston, Texas) contributed 10 to the Javelina cause.
As a team, the Hogs shot 42.3 percent from the floor, 53.6 in the first half, and they held their hosts to a paltry 31.6, marking the fourth consecutive game the Javelinas have held their opponent to under 40 percent from the field. TAMUK also knocked down 20 of 23 free throws, including 13 of 14 in the second half. The battle on the boards went to the Javelinas as well, by a margin of 42-30.
The Hilltoppers were the first team to take a multi-possession lead when they went ahead by four with 14:57 to play in the first half, but that edge didn't last long. Two free throws by Block, a layup courtesy of junior John Mouton (Missouri City, Texas) and a Chauncey Thomas jump shot thrust TAMUK in front, 16-14 and the visitors would never trail again.
After SEU tied the score at 18, Chauncey Thomas converted a three-point play that sparked a 16-0 rally by the Blue and Gold. Junior Daniel Severo (Osasco, Brazil) and freshman Darius Mickens (Willis, Texas) drained treys during the run, which was finished off by five points from Rashon Thomas, including a fastbreak triple.
Following two free throws by St. Edward's, the Javelina offense went back to work, tacking on seven more, including another Rashon Thomas three. The last five points of the half were scored by the home team, sending the teams to the locker room with the scoreboard reading Javelinas 41, Hilltoppers 25.
A three-pointer by Sean Phillips got SEU on the board first in the second half, only for sophomore Jamell Bradley (Converse, Texas) to respond with a jumper and two free throws. The Hogs then answered six straight points by the home side with five-in-a-row, including a another bucket from three-point land by Mickens.
An 18-6 spurt in the final period allowed the Hilltoppers to close within three at the 6:32 mark, but that's when the Javelina defense showed its mettle. St. Edward's didn't score again for exactly six minutes, as they missed their next five shots and also turned the ball over four times. A three-point play from senior Robert Stevenson (Houston, Texas) got TAMUK's offense back on track and another three-point play by Block, which he followed with two free throws, put the Javs back up by double-digits and iced the win.
Up next for the Javelinas is their first Lone Star Conference game of the year, a clash with Tarleton on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in Stephenville, Texas. To keep up with Javelina men's basketball all year long, follow @JavelinaMBB on Twitter and @JavelinaSports on Instagram, like JavelinaMBB on Facebook and visit Javelinaathletics.com.
