WACO, Texas – Senior Robert Stevenson (Houston, Texas) set a career-high with 21 points and added nine rebounds to steal the show as the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team powered past the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys, 80-70, on Saturday afternoon at The Highlands gym in Waco, Texas.
"I was proud of how our kids bounced back in the second half," said coach Johnny Estelle. "It's pretty evident the 10-day layoff had an effect, but you have to give Arkansas Tech credit also."
Stevenson's point total came on 9-of-11 shooting and easily bested his previous career-high of 12 points, a mark he reached twice. His nine rebounds were also the day's second highest total, topped only by junior Kyren Block (San Antonio, Texas), who racked up 10. Stevenson also snatched three steals and contributed two blocked shots.
TAMUK's offensive attack was by no means a one-man-show, however. Senior Jacolby Harris (Delray, Fla.) set a season-high with 16, knocking down 5-of-7 from the floor. Senior Alex Mills (Lauren, S.C.) posted 14 points for the second consecutive contest and now has reached double figures three times in-a-row. Junior Chauncey Thomas (Plano, Texas) tossed in 12.
"I though Jacolby Harris, Robert Stevenson and Alex Mills made a huge difference and played like seniors," said Estelle. "Robert's 9-of-11 shooting, nine rebounds and two blocks definitely impacted the game. Harris's 16 points and leadership presence were evident and made a significant difference. Alex Mills hit some important shots at key moments.
"Overall, I'm proud of the team even though we still have a long way to go. I also want to thank our fans and parents that traveled to the game today. We had a good crowd for a neutral site game and hope to continue to grow and expand our fans base for the future. Go Javs!"
A layup by Stevenson helped spark the Javelinas in the early going and they scored the game's first six points. The Wonder Boys fought back by putting in 13 of the next 17, with a triple by Mason Cline capping the run and pushing ATU in front, 13-10.
Freshman Will Chayer (Corpus Christi, Texas) canned a trey to tie the score and, after the sides exchanged buckets, Harris swished another three-pointer, only to see Josiah Thomas match it for Arkansas Tech at the 6:50 mark.
The Hogs' response came in the form of eight straight points, as they built the largest lead of half. Mills and Block contributed consecutive triples during the burst to make the score 26-18. Unfortunately for TAMUK, the Wonder Boys rang up 12 of the final 16 points of the half. Freddy Lee and Eric Turner each connected from beyond the arc during that stretch and a layup by Alex Brown with 30 seconds on the clock sent the teams to the half level at 30.
The Javelinas raced out of the gate in the second half by tallying the first six points, including a bucket from three-point land courtesy of Harris.
After the Wonder Boys closed within one, a free throw and a two-handed slam by Stevenson raised the lead back to four. The next five points all came from Harris, who first converted a three-point play, then added two more from the charity stripe, making the score 45-36.
Triples by Lee, Turner and R.J. Glasper helped Arkansas Tech slice the deficit to two before the Javelinas went back to work. A basket by Harris sparked another run and, following two Chauncey Thomas free throws, Mills drained consecutive threes and the Blue and Gold went ahead by 12.
TAMUK and ATU traded baskets until 3:19 remained and the Wonders Boys were able to cut the Javelina lead to single digits at 70-61 on a three by Glasper, but the Hogs refused to allow their opponent to gain any momentum. Jumpers by Chauncey Thomas and Stevenson restored a double-digit advantage and TAMUK cruised the rest of the way.
While Arkansas Tech posted better shooting percentages from the floor and from beyond the arc, the Javelinas held advantages in nearly every other category. They easily outrebounded their opponents, grabbing 44 rebounds compared to ATU's 32. The 17 offensive boards TAMUK collected helped them log 16 second chance points, nine more than Arkansas Tech. The Javelinas also shot 78.3 percent from the charity stripe, their second-highest mark of the season. They turned the ball over 16 times while piling up 18 takeaways, which led to 20 points.
The last game on the schedule for the Blue and Gold prior to winter break takes them to San Antonio on Wednesday to battle the St. Mary's Rattlers at 7 p.m. To stay up-to-date with TAMUK men's basketball all season, follow @JavelinaMBB on Twitter, @Javelinasports on Instagram, like Javelina Men's Basketball on Facebook and subscribe to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel.
