KINGSVILLE, Texas – The 12th-seeded Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team is halfway to its goal of capturing the program's third Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship after toppling No. 5 seed Texas A&M-Commerce and fourth-seeded St. Mary's, but the Javelinas will now take on their toughest challenge in the form of the top-seeded and No. 4 Lubbock Christian Chaparrals, who will square off with TAMUK at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday inside the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.
Stout defense has been the name of the game for the Hogs through their first two LSC Tournament matchups, as they've held their two opponents to just 38 percent shooting from the floor and under 30 percent on threes. In both cases, the Javs were facing an opponent ranked in the top half of the conference in scoring, but held each squad well below their average. In the paint, freshman Ja Robertson (Houston, Texas) and senior Dayante McClellan (Austin, Texas) have combined for 18 rebounds and four blocked shots against the Lions and Rattlers and McClellan also has four steals.
In each of TAMUK's first two LSC Tournament games, freshman Marcus Jones (Cheneyville, La.) has led the Javelinas in scoring and he reset his career-high on Thursday with 19 points against the Rattlers. So far in the tourney, Jones has shot 11-of-16 from the floor and is 7-of-11 from beyond the arc and it was his triple with 3:23 to go on Saturday night that gave the Hogs the lead for good.
LCU earned the top seed in the tournament by going 12-2 in conference play and they've compiled an overall record of 26-2, which broke the program record for wins a season previously set by the 1982-83 squad.
The Chaps spent two months ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation and their success in 2021-22 has been due to all-around excellence. LCU ranks second in the conference in scoring, first in scoring defense and ninth in the nation in scoring margin. They also own the league's best shooting percentage and shoot the highest percentage in the LSC from beyond the arc.
For the second straight year, LCU forward Parker Hicks was named LSC Player of the Year. Hicks is second in the conference in scoring, leads the league in rebounding and field goal percentage and is also one of the LSC's best shot blockers. On Feb. 8th against Texas A&M International, Hicks set a new school record with 50 points, including 36 in the first half. He is also one of four LCU players averaging scoring in double figures and has helped guide a team that averages the fewest turnovers in the LSC.
Links for tickets to Saturday's game can be found on Javelinaathletics.com and Lonestarconference.rog. To follow all the action live, visit Javelinaathletics.com, where there will be links to live video and stats and a postgame recap. 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. Get the Official Javelina Athletics Mobile App today! Download on the App Store or Get It on Google Play to keep up with all the news, scores and updates of your favorite Javelinas.
