KINGSVILLE, Texas – The Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team gave the No. 4 Dallas Baptist Patriots all they could handle and then some as the two teams battled on Senior Day. A close game all the way to the final minute, the Patriots pulled away in the closing moments to survive an upset scare from the Hogs, 86-79.
The Javelinas (6-18, LSC 4-15) drop the season series to DBU. The Patriots (21-3, LSC 15-3) secure the East division title and a top two seed in the Lone Star Conference Tournament.
Starting off the contest, the Patriots looked poised to showcase their top five ranking and pull away early, taking an 11 point lead over the Hogs in the opening five minutes. The Javelinas battled back as they have all season, though, reversing the deficit to take a 10 point lead of their own ten minutes later. The two squads were evenly matched all night in a highly physical game as DBU took a slim 42-40 lead into halftime.
The second half was much of the same story with the Patriots quickly reopening a double digit lead in the first minutes of the second half before the Hogs erased the lead once again. A back-and-forth battle through the middle of the half, the Patriots managed to create some breathing room with another 11 point lead with less than five minutes remaining.
The Javelinas managed to cut the lead once more to three entering the final two minutes of the contest, but this time the Patriots held on, inching in front of the Hogs down the stretch thanks to accurate free throw shooting to take the win and prevent the upset.
On Senior Night, the Javelina seniors showed out. Making his way back into the starting lineup,
Kavon Booker posted the first double-double on the season for TAMUK with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Booker also had a huge night on defense, recording two blocks and a steal.
C.J. Smith, who has eclipsed over 1000 career points as a Javelina, led the Hogs on the scoresheet as he has consistently done all season. Smith finished with 22 points, his eighth 20+ point game of the season, going 5-of-10 from deep alongside a team-high five assists. He also pulled down five rebounds and added two more steals to his season total.
Kendrick Washington had a great night as well, coming in just behind Booker with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Washington also grabbed three rebounds and was an 3-of-5 from behind the arc as the senior put up his second-highest point total of the season.
The young guys also put in some great performances for the Hogs. Sophomores
Jason Clark and
Allen Singleton were heavy contributors to the squad.
Singleton finished tied with Booker in points at 15 and tied with Smith in assists and rebounds with five apiece. Clark recorded seven points, two assists, a steal, and the second-highest rebounds on the team with six.
UP NEXT
The Javelinas are back on the road for the final time this year as they face two LSC opponents they have yet to meet. First, the Javelinas take on Midwestern State on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. before making the trip to Oklahoma to face Cameron on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m.
Follow the Javelinas all season long by visiting javelinaathletics.com to find links to live stats and streaming information as well as a recap at the end of each contest. To keep up-to-date with Javelina Men's Basketball, follow the program on Facebook /JavelinaMBB or on X @JavelinaMBB. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network.
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