KINGSVILLE, Texas – Four players scored in double figures and the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team held the Cameron Aggies to 21 percent shooting, the lowest in the Johnny Estelle era, en route to a 78-46 rout of Cameron in Lone Star Conference action on Friday evening at the Steinke Physical Education Center in Kingsville, Texas.
"Overall, we executed when we needed to," said coach Johnny Estelle. "Defensively, we played exceptional. We rebounded the ball at a high clip. When you're in a game like this, you're going to lose a little focus on one end and if you have the lead, I don't mind it being on offense, because, if you keep getting stops and rebound, you're going to probably win the game."
The Javelinas have now reached 10-1 in Lone Star Conference play for the first time in program history. They are also 10-1 overall for the first time since they started the 2006-07 season 13-1.
"Any time you make history like that," said Estelle, "its always something to be proud of. These kids have worked extremely hard. This team has had the most adversity of any team that's probably played here that I can recall. What I love about them is they do everything together."
The Aggies shot 12-of-57 from the floor. The previous low for shooting percentage by an opponent against Hogs under Estelle was 25.9, which also came against Cameron on Jan. 26th, 2019. The Javs also pulled down 52 rebounds, their highest total in a single game since they had 57 against UT Permian Basin on Nov. 14th, 2015.
On the offensive side, junior Creighton Avery (Corpus Christi, Texas) led the team in scoring for the fourth time this season, posting 13 points to go with a team-high four assists. Fellow junior Tyrese Patterson (Harlem, N.Y.) contributed 11 and senior Tre Flowers (Bryan, Texas) and sophomore Wellington Stovall (Houston, Texas) added 10 points. Stovall collected seven rebounds, tying for a game-high.
Both offenses started slowly and, after a Marques Warrior, Jr. layup at the 15:18 mark, the Javelinas held a 6-5 lead. That would be Cameron's last bucket for more than seven minutes. Meanwhile, the Hogs went on an 11-0 run sparked by a trey from Stovall and which included points from five different players.
A Jalen Mangum three brought the Aggies back to within nine, but it would the last time they'd be within single digits and the Javs put up 15 of the next 17 points, upping their margin to 31-10. That 21-point difference was also in effect at halftime, with the Javs in front, 36-15.
At the start of the final period, the Aggies whittled their deficit down to 19 and later got as close as 17, but they never seriously threatened TAMUK's margin. A 16-0 run by the Hogs pushed their advantage to 33 and the home team led by as many as 35 in the second half on their way to consecutive win No. 8.
These Javs and the Aggies will renew acquaintances on Satuday, when they're scheduled to square off at 4 p.m. Fans can keep up with Javelina men's basketball throughout the season by following @JavelinaMBB on Twitter and Instagram, liking Texas A&M University-Kingsville Men's Basketball on Facebook, subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube channel and visiting Javelinaathletics.com. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy.
