Kingsville - Texas A&M-Kingsville pulled off a massive upset bid against No. 9 Eastern New Mexico, 83-75, on senior night to clinch a spot in the Lone Star Conference tournament on Saturday.
The Javelinas (13-13, 10-8 LSC) got the all-important 10th conference wins that puts too much distance between the Hogs and the rest of the field in the LSC and clinches them a spot in Frisco, Texas. The win today over the Greyhounds (22-4, 15-3 LSC) was the first time ENMU had lost on the road all year long and gave the Javelinas their first win over a top-ten opponent since the 2024-25 season.
Saturday's contest was also senior night for the Javelinas, as the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team celebrated five seniors in
Allen Singleton,
Nate Garcia,
Daniel Sanchez,
KC Udolisa and
Jamir Turner.
The upset was powered by an exceptional performance in the first half from the Javelinas on both sides of the ball, as the offense would score 42 points while holding the Greyhound offense to just 29 points. Texas A&M-Kingsville would also win in a space that ENMU has won all year long, outscoring the Greyhounds in the paint 50-46 for the game.
Eastern New Mexico showed why they still sit atop the conference in the second half however, as they would cut the Javelinas' lead to just two points with just under eight minutes to go in the second half. The Javelians would not be deterred however, as five straight points from
TJ Ford Jr. and a tip-in layup from
David Oriaku made it a 69-60 ballgame heading down the final stretch of the game.
The Greyhounds once again cut the lead down to just a single possession with some made free throws at the 2:42 mark. Oriaku would then get a slam-dunk finish after a great dish from Sanchez to get it back to two possessions and then put the finishing touches on the game with an-and-one putback layup to extend the lead to eight points which the Javelinas maintain to complete the upset.
Bryson Goldsmith finished with a game-high 20 points with
Bryce Smith and Oriaku each finishing with 11. Goldsmith and Sanchez both ended the contest with a team-high five boards while Smith ended with five assists. Oriaku was a monster defensively as well, notching two blocks and two steals in the contest.
Texas A&M-Kingsville will conclude the final two games of the regular season on the road as the first take on the UT-Tyler Patriots, fans of the Javelinas can watch the game on FloCollege or follow the action at JaveliaMBB on X.
