Frisco, TX - Texas A&M-Kingsville hung around with Dallas Baptist University, but could not keep up as it fell 67-88 in the first round of the LSC Tournament Championship on Thursday.
The Javelinas (13-16, 10-10 LSC) were within five points of the Patriots (25-6, 18-2 LSC) after a
TJ Ford Jr. layup made it a 34-39 game with three minutes left on the clock. DBU scored ten points in the remaining minutes of the first half however, grabbing an 11 points lead which they would not relinquish for a remainder of the game.
Bryson Goldsmith finished with 17 points on 50-percent shooting,
Daniel Sanchez racked up 15 points while
Jadon Sautter reached double-figures in his first postseason action with 10.
Jamir Turner pulled down a team-high seven rebounds while racking up a pair of steals as well.
Two of those points for Sautter were an ignition point for the Javelinas, as he raced down the court after a DBU-made basket and threw down a vicious dunk to make it a 14-22 ballgame. The Javelinas would score on each of their next six possessions to bring it to five, but could not close the distance any further.
The offense would go relatively quiet from that point on, finishing with just a 33.3 shooting percentage from the floor. The Javelinas only hit a single three-pointer as well, coming by way of
Bryce Smith. The Javelinas however did keep DBU in check from beyond the arc as well, only allowing seven made attempts from the Patriots.
