By NICK EATMAN
FRISCO, Texas – For the third time in 10 days, West Texas A&M proved to be too strong for Lubbock Christian, although this one was much closer than the first two meetings in the regular season.
But the result was still the same for the Buffs, who needed five clutch points by Damion Thornton in the final 90 seconds to help knock off the Chaps, 76-70. Thornton matched his season-high with 26 points to help WT advance to Sunday’s Lone Star Conference Championship final at Comerica Center.
West Texas A&M, searching for its sixth straight LSC tournament title, trailed by four with 7:12 to play, but used a 12-2 run take control of the game. LCU battled back with clutch baskets of its own and trailed by just two when Thornton went to the line with 1:20 to play. He hit both free throws to extend the lead to four, but it was cut back to two after LCU’s Rowan McKenzie hit another jump shot with 1:10 to play.
The Buffs missed their next shot, but Thornton got the rebound for another possession. This time, Thornton was wide open for a 3-pointer that he drilled, to give the Buffs a five-point lead, which held up for the win.
West Texas A&M knocked off LCU in the final two regular season games of the season in a home-and-home matchup, winning by 13 at home and then by seven on the road in Lubbock.
On Saturday night, Thornton was hard to stop, doubling his season average of 13.7 points per game. He was joined by Julius Brown, who had 17 points and Zach Toussaint came off the bench to score 13, including three 3-pointers down the stretch.
Mackenzie had a team-high 23 for the Chaps, who had three others in double figures in Najeeb Muhammad with 14, Aaron Gonzales with 13 and Russell Harrison with 11.
And this might not be the last meeting between the two teams this year. Currently, WT ranks No. 2 in the South Central Regional rankings and LCU is No. 7, which would pit them against each other again in the regional tournament if the rankings stay the same.
WT Notes:
- The Buffs improved to 7-5 this year in game decided by six points or less.
- Thornton matched a season-high of 26 points he had this year at Dallas Baptist on Jan. 19.
- WTAMU is advancing to its 17th LSC Championship final with a 11-5 record.
LCU Notes:
- The Chaps is now 3-4 in seven games of the LSC Championship.
- LCU’s leading scorer Rowan Mackenzie, who ranked second in the LSC with a 19.3 averaged, kept the Chaps in the game most of the night with a team-high 21 points, to go along with nine rebounds.
- LCU shot 16-of-18 from the free-throw line. In the previous two games against WT, the Chaps were 18-of-20 and 12-of-14.
LSC Basketball Championship Central