WICHITA FALLS, Texas - Meeting with the Midwestern State Mustangs for the first time this season, the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team fought a hard battle but was outdueled down the stretch in part to a stark difference in the rebounding column, falling to the Mustangs, 72-62.
The Javelinas (6-19, LSC 4-16) drop their second game in a row. The Mustangs (15-11, LSC 9-11) keep their LSC Tournament hopes alive with the win.
Both teams needed time to get warmed up to start the game off with the Mustangs being the first team to reach double digits at 13:45 left in the first half. One that point was reached, both offenses finally got clicking. The Hogs scored 17 points in the final five minutes of the half - as much as they had scored in the entire first half to that point - to take a slim 34-33 lead into the locker room thanks to a
Jason Clark three-pointer just seconds before the buzzer.
The second half was a similar story with both squads taking a few minutes to get cooking once again. The Mustangs grabbed the lead quickly coming out of the break and would not relinquish it for the rest of the game, aided by a +18 difference in rebounding over the Javelinas, including a 17-8 advantage on the offensive boards and 13-6 advantage in second chance points. The Hogs kept the game within two to three possessions for most of the half, but the Mustangs gradually pulled away in the final five minutes to take the win.
C.J. Smith was the leading scorer for the Javelinas once again, totaling 18 points on the night alongside a team-leading three assists and three steals.
Clark pulled down 12 rebounds for the team on the night - nearly half the team's total - and fell just three points short of TAMUK's second double-double of the season with seven points.
Allen Singleton matched Smith in the steals department with three of his own and was the second-top scorer for the Hogs with nine points.
Andre Walker II had himself a great night from deep, putting up nine points on a perfect 3-of-3 shooting from behind the arc.
UP NEXT
The Javelinas make the trip to Lawton, OK for their final road game of the season as they take on the Cameron Aggies. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 24 at 3 p.m.
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