Tex. A&M-Kingsville TAMK 21-12,14-8 Lone Star

West Tex. A&M WTAMU 26-6,20-2 Lone Star

Tex. A&M-Kingsville TAMK

21-12,14-8 Lone Star

Final

Mar. 11, 2023

West Tex. A&M WTAMU

26-6,20-2 Lone Star

Score By Periods
Team	1	2	F
Tex. A&M-Kingsville TAMK	22	34	56
West Tex. A&M WTAMU	38	40	78

Summary
Box Score

James Davila

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | 3/11/2023 7:58:00 PM | Ryan Smith, Athletic Communications Coordinator

Javelinas fall to Buffs in NCAA South Central Region Quarterfinal

A historic season concludes as the squad made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history

CANYON, Texas- The No. 8 seeded Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team suffered a 78-56 defeat at the hands of No. 1 seed West Texas A&M at the First United Bank Center on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the NCAA South Central Regional Tournament.

Additionally, this closes the book on a memorable 2022-23 campaign that's seen the Javelinas reach the NCAA tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time in school history.

The season also saw senior Will Chayer, classmate Sammy Brooks, senior Creighton Avery, and junior Jake Majors become the first set of players to reach three NCAA tournaments, while Chayer exits as the winningest player in school history. The team also logged 20-plus wins for only the sixth time in program history, collecting its second LSC title in the last three seasons.

"I'm proud of my guys," said coach Johnny Estelle postgame. "I thought that they battled … It's always tough playing the home team in a national tournament, you know, It wasn't our night, and it wasn't because our kids didn't play hard; it wasn't because they didn't play with any heart. It's just because it just wasn't our night … We didn't shoot the ball particularly well … Give West Texas credit; they did shoot the ball well. Anytime you make 15 three-pointers, you're probably going to win … At the end of the day, this doesn't define us. We had a really good season, and I wouldn't trade anybody in that locker room because those guys are the kind of kids you want to be around every day and coach."

The No. 8 seed Javelinas (21-12, 14-8 LSC) fell to the No. 1 seed and tournament host Buffaloes (26-6, 20-2 LSC), as junior Isaiah Payne posted a team-high 14 points. Classmate Dillon Gooding and Chayer joined Payne in the double-digit scoring club, as Gooding logged 11 points and Chayer 10 with seven rebounds. Nobody on the squad collected as many boards as Brooks, who hauled in 10, tying Damion Thorton of WT for the most in the game.

Gooding wasted no time putting the Hogs on the scoreboard, knocking down a triple to open the contest before WT answered. The teams traded buckets as a Majors jumper knotted the contest at seven and sparked a six-point Blue and Gold surge featuring makes by Payne and Avery. The Buffs again responded, knotting the game at 13 before a 14-2 run saw a 27-15 WT lead. The opposition remained hot, for in a 38-22 score line as the teams entered the locker room.

The squads exchanged blows to begin the second stanza, as a pair of Chayer free throws delivered a 43-30 score line, still favoring the Buffs. WT then embarked on a 13-5 run to build a 21-point lead. Gooding then nailed two free throws, and Brooks got a transition bucket to fall, sparking an 8-4 surge that saw TAMUK down 60-43. Shortly after, layups by junior C.J. Smith and sophomore Marcus Jones-Green bookended a six-score run that drew the Javelinas within 16. The Buffs then kept the Javelinas at arm's length for the remainder of the contest, claiming a 78-56 victory.

Fans can learn more about the Javelina men's basketball 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.

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