KINGSVILLE, Texas – Senior Rashon Thomas (Houston, Texas) and junior Tre Flowers (Bryan, Texas) each posted 16 points and the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team completely dominated the UT Permian Basin Falcons, 86-51, in Lone Star Conference action on Thursday night in Kingsville, Texas at the Steinke Physical Education.
The Javelinas have now won six-in-a-row, matching their longest winning streak from the 2018-19 campaign, and they're 8-2 overall and 4-0 in the LSC, their best start in conference play since 1995-96. TAMUK is also the only LSC team still undefeated in conference play. UTPB saw its 10-game win streak snapped. They're now 3-1 in league play and 10-3 overall.
"That was a game that was kind of like a perfect storm," said coach Johnny Estelle. "We were hitting shots. We guarded very well. We got hot and it seemed like everybody who put a shot up tonight made it. That's a tough team and their coach does a great job. To get to 4-0 is great, but we've got a very good team coming in on Saturday. We just have to continue to get better."
Thomas added six rebounds to go with his 16 points and hit 5-of-9 from three-point range. Flowers hit four times from beyond the arc, shot 6-of-12 from the floor and has now reached double figures in four straight games. Senior Daniel Severo (Osasco, Brazil) pitched in with 11 points and sophomore Will Chayer (Corpus Christi, Texas) grabbed eight rebounds and handed out four assists, both game-highs.
UTPB entered the game averaging 93.1 points per game and with a shooting percentage of 53.1. The Hogs held them to their lowest point total of the season and to a mark of 31.4 from the floor. TAMUK put up the most points they have in a game this season and shot 41.5 percent from the floor.
"They took a lot of quick shots in transition," said Chayer. "Our job was to get back in transition and try to make them work the ball around."
After the teams spent the opening minutes of the game trading buckets, a pair of John Guerra (Melville, N.Y.) free throws sparked a mini, 7-3 run for the Hogs for an 18-12 lead. UTPB got within four before the Javelinas raced in front by double figures for the first time, scoring 13 of 18 points in a stretch that included two Rashon Thomas treys and moving ahead 33-21.
The Falcons got as close as eight points, creeping to within 37-29 after foul shots from Fermandez Jones, before the home team pushed the lead to 13. Thomas started things with another triple and free throws from senior Chauncey Thomas (Plano, Texas) followed by a Flowers layup allowed TAMUK to take a 44-31 edge into the break.
The Javelinas wasted no time regaining control in the second half, using a 10-3 spurt that included a John Mouton trey to push their lead out to 54-34. UTPB never got closer than 18 after that.
The Hogs continued pulling away as the second half wore on, using a 15-2 run to gain a 79-46 edge. Severo scored five of TAMUK's points during that period and Flowers canned his fourth three. The Javelinas cruised the rest of the way en route to their sixth straight victory.
Next up for the Javelinas is Western New Mexico, who will visit the SPEC on Saturday for a 4 p.m. matchup against the Javelinas. Stay current with TAMUK men's basketball throughout the 2019-20 season by following @JavelinaMBB and @JavelinaSports on Twitter and Instagram, liking Javelina Men's Basketball on Facebook and subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
