KINGSVILLE, Texas – A successful end to the 2018-19 home schedule for the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team has the Hogs primed to carry momentum into the Lone Star Conference Tournament, but first, they have to deal with their last two regular season opponents.
The Javelinas will visit the Cameron Aggies on Thursday night for a contest that's scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off. On Saturday, they'll close out the regular season against the Midwestern State Mustangs, who they'll square off with at 4 p.m.
Currently, coach Johnny Estelle's Javs, who have clinched a spot in the LSC Tournament, are slated for the event's sixth seed. Their 8-8 mark in conference play has them tied with Tarleton, but a head-to-head advantage as well as a better overall record gives TSU the edge. The Hogs are also a game-and-a-half behind Eastern New Mexico.
A cast of many helped TAMUK collect victories in their last two home matchups, both of which they won by wide margins. Freshman Darius Mickens (Willis, Texas), junior Rashon Thomas (Houston, Texas) and senior Alex Mills (Laurens, S.C.) all averaged in double figures during their team's most recent weekend on the court.
Mickens piled up 23 points Feb. 21st as the Javelinas battered UT Permian Basin, 88-63. That represented the second straight game in which Mickens totaled 23 points, which stands as a team-high for points in a game. Thomas scored 14 points against the Falcons, then posted a team-high 12 points two days later in a 78-47 defeat of Western New Mexico. In each game, Thomas drained four threes. Mills contributed six buckets from beyond the arc in two games, putting up 12 and nine points, respectively.
The squad's defensive effort was captained by senior Robert Stevenson (Houston, Texas) and junior John Mouton (Missouri City, Texas). Stevenson blocked 10 shots during the previous week, including a night with six rejections against UTPB, one off the program record he'd set the year before. Stevenson has 16 blocked shots in his last four games and his rate of 2.0 blocks per game is in the top 25 in the nation.
Against the Mustangs, Mouton snatched a game-high 12 rebounds, which also represented his best game on the glass this year. As a team, the Javelinas continue to solidify their standing as an elite defensive unit. They own spots in the NCAA's top 25 in points allowed, shooting percentage allowed and blocked shots.
The Aggies and the Mustangs enter this final week of conference play fighting over the final spot in the LSC Tournament. Cameron is attempting to snap out of a funk that's seen them lose six straight. The good news for the Aggies is all but one of those defeats came on the road and they'll close out the season at home, where they own a 6-6 mark. Cameron has also beaten the Javelinas in each of their last two visits to Lawton.
Tyus Momoh is the top scoring threat on coach Andrew Brown's roster, with an average of 13.6 points per game, good enough to place him in the top 10 in the conference. His season has included a 27-point night against No. 11 West Texas on Feb. 2nd. Momoh is also second in the LSC with 53 steals and helps fuel a defense that leads the league in that category and is 32nd in Division II.
MSU Texas is attempting to capitalize on the momentum they gained from beating Cameron in their last game. The Mustangs have picked up victories in two of their last three games after stopping a seven-game losing streak. That skid included a 65-53 loss against the Javelinas, during which MSU let a 14-point first half lead slip away, falling 65-53. On their home court, the Mustangs will be attempting to continue a home winning streak against TAMUK that currently stands at 10.
Midwestern State has three different players in the LSC's top 10 in three different categories, led by junior forward Gilbert Thomas, Jr., who is the conference's second-best rebounder with an average of 8.7 boards per game, a statistic that also puts him in the top 50 nationally.
JaJuan Starks is the team's leading scorer with 14.5 points per game, placing him sixth in the LSC. The Javelinas managed to keep him under wraps the first time the teams met this season, holding him to seven points, but he went off for 27 points on Feb. 7th against Tarleton. The Javs will also have to account for junior Elijah Lee, who's averaging 4.0 assists per game.
Links to live stats and video are available on Javelinaathletics.com, where you'll also be able to find a postgame recap. 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.
