QUICK HITS
- The Buffs scored 105 points to match the most points scored in the Tom Brown era (1/3/15 vs. Hillsdale Baptist)
- The Buffs went on a 17-5 run in the heart of the second half as they hit four threes in that time
- Jordan Evans connected from deep on 3 straight WT possessions early in the 2^nd half
- The Buffs registered 34 total rebounds in the game including 18 in the second half
- WT is 30-2 all-time against New Mexico Highlands with the Buffs winning six straight
 
LEADING THE WAY (Statistical Leaders)
Points – Jonathon Mines (NMHU, 27 Points), Jordan Evans (WT, 22 Points)
Rebounds – Marlon Johnson (NMHU, 10 Rebounds), Jerrod Walton (WT, 7 Rebounds)
Assists – David Chavlovich (WT, 10 Assists), Jonathon Mines (NMHU, 6 Assists)
Blocks – Kaylen Shane (NMHU, 2 Blocks), Jerrod Walton (WT, 1 Block)
Steals – Kendrick Nichols (NMHU, 2 Steals), David Chavlovich (WT, 1 Steal), Eric Golightly Jr. (WT, 1 Steal)
 
CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M Buffaloes used hot shooting and balanced scoring on Saturday afternoon as four different Buffs scored in double-digits as WT topped the visiting Cowboys of New Mexico Highlands, 105-92 in front of almost 900 fans at the First United Bank Center in Canyon, Texas. The Buffs move to 2-2 on the season while the Cowboys fall to 1-3 overall.
 
The Cowboys came out swinging as they hit their first two shots from the floor for the early 5-0 lead before Jeff Bonner started the WT scoring with a great inside move, Highlands answered with another three from Jonathon Mines before Bonner found Evans in the corner to cut the lead to 6-5. Ron Lawton connected on a floater in the lane before an Evans offensive board and putback followed by a WT foul with 16:45 left. Highlands gave the ball right back with a travel but the Buffs couldn't answer as they missed a three before an Eric Golightly Jr. steal sent the teams into a media timeout with NMHU leading 10-7 with 15:56 left.
 
The Buffs missed another three immediately following the break but the Cowboys couldn't respond followed by the teams trading misses in their next few possessions, Marlon Johnson hit one-of-two from the line followed by a Rylan Gerber contested three from the wing to cut the score to 11-10. The teams traded turnovers before a Ryan Quaid defensive board that led to a three from the top of the key by the freshman to give WT the 13-11 lead, NMHU was called for three seconds in the lane but WT gave the ball right back with a turnover before a Cowboys miss and foul sent the teams into another media timeout with the Buffs leading 13-11 with 11:37 left.
 
Chavlovich banked home a three from the top of the key after the break followed by a Highlands free throw, Chavlovich found Bonner on the great post move as the senior slammed home the finish followed by a NMHU turnover that led to another Bonner layup with 9:32 left. Golightly Jr. made a great defensive play as he picked the ball and found Jerrod Walton for the fast break layup to force a Highlands timeout with 9:05 left and the Buffs leading 22-14. Mines drained his third long ball of the game after the timeout followed by a WT miss that led to a James Healy three from the wing, WT missed from long range again before Highlands gave the ball right back with an offensive foul heading into another media timeout with 7:36 left and WT leading 22-20.
 
The Buffs got two points via a goaltending call right after the break followed by a Bonner defensive board that led directly to a Walton three point play to run the WT lead to 27-20, Highlands got two points back at the free throw line followed by a Chavlovich jumper. NMHU answered with a jumper by Mines before a WT miss led to a Johnson floater to cut the lead to 29-26, Bonner knocked down two from the charity stripe followed by a Cowboys miss that led directly to a Chavlovich coast-to-coast layup. Highlands was denied on a dunk by the rim as the Buffs turned that miss into a Joseph Prince transition three from the wing, the teams traded misses as Chavlovich knocked down another jumper just inside of the three point line followed by a Highlands layup with 3:08 left heading into the final media timeout of the half with WT leading 38-28.
 
The Cowboys turned the ball over again with a three second call right after the break but the Buffs couldn't convert as they missed from long range followed by a Kendrick Nichols floater in the lane with just under two minutes left, another WT miss and a quick foul looked to give Highlands more points but they missed the front end of a one-and-one followed by another WT miss from long range. The Buffs committed another foul as Highlands hit two from the line before Bonner found Gerber in the corner for the three to stretch the lead to 41-32. Highlands answered with a three of their own followed by a steal and score by Mines, WT missed a layup but NMHU couldn't get a shot off before the clock expired as the Buffs took a 41-37 lead into the locker room.
 
The Buffs went 16-of-31 (51.6%) from the floor including 6-of-15 (40%) from deep and 3-of-5 (60%) from the free throw line to go along with 14 rebounds (four offensive, 10 defensive), eight fouls, 12 assists, six turnovers, no blocks and one steal. Bonner led the Buffs in scoring at the half as the senior went 4-of-5 from the floor with 10 points followed by Chavlovich with nine and Walton with seven.
 
New Mexico Highlands went 13-of-25 (52%) from the floor including 5-of-11 (45.5%) from deep and 6-of-8 (75%) from the free throw line to go along with 16 rebounds (four offensive, 12 defensive), seven fouls, six assists, nine turnovers, one block and four steals. Mines led all players at the half with 13 points as he went 5-of-9 from the floor including 3-of-5 from long range followed by Johnson with 10 points and six rebounds at the break.
 
Johnson connected on a turnaround baseline jumper to start the second half followed by a WT turnover that led to Mines hitting one of two from the line to cut the WT lead to 41-40 with 18:35 left, Golightly Jr. drove the baseline and finished with a layup before Mines knocked down two more from the charity stripe with 18:08 remaining. The Buffs continued their cold streak from the floor with another miss before a Golightly Jr. defensive rebound led to an Evans three from the corner to give WT the 46-42 lead. Johnson connected on a fade away jumper before Evans banged down another three before Mines answered with one of his own, Evans hit another three from the wing before Lawton connected on a jumper in the lane followed by an illegal screen to send the teams into a media timeout with 15:29 left and the Buffs leading 52-49.
 
The Cowboys used a monster dunk by Kaylen Shane right after the break but a technical foul was called on the big man for taunting as Evans knocked down a pair from the line, the teams traded misses before Lawton drove the baseline for the layup after a timeout with 14:27 left. Walton connected on a three point play before Mines hit a floater in the lane with just over 14 minutes left, Chavlovich answered with a pull-up three from the top of the key before an alley-oop dunk by the Cowboys cut the lead to 60-57 before a Quaid three from the wing to give WT the 63-57 lead with 13:31 on the clock. Walton went to the line again as the sophomore knocked down two more from the charity stripe before Highlands knocked down a pair of their own with 13:01 left, Chavlovich hit another crossover jumper followed by a three from Mines from the top of the key that was immediately answered by a Bonner fast break layup to send the teams into a media timeout with 11:54 left and the Buffs leading 69-62.
 
Highlands knocked down two from the line after the break that was answered with another Evans three from the wing followed by a Ruben Macias three with just under 11 minutes left, Prince connected on a baseline jumper followed by a miss at the line by NMHU and a Prince transition three from the corner to run the lead to 77-66. Highlands hit one-of-two from the line before Gove found Prince for another three from the wing followed by a Cowboys miss and an Evans transition three to run the lead to 83-67. Highlands got one at the line again before Gove hit a baseline jumper followed by a NMHU foul sent Prince to the line where he got one, the Cowboys got two back at the line followed by a WT miss that led to a Highlands jumper to force a timeout with 7:56 on the clock and the Buffs leading 86-72.
 
The Buffs turned the ball over after the timeout as the Cowboys turned that into a fast break layup followed by a pair of free throws by Prince with 7:17 left, NMHU knocked down a three from the wing before Chavlovich answered with one of his own followed by Prince free throws to make it 94-77 with 4:59 left. Mines added to hit scoring total with another free throw followed by a Walton layup from Chavlovich, the teams traded buckets before a WT turnover sent the teams into the final media timeout of the game with 3:32 left and the Buffs leading 98-80.
 
The Cowboys knocked down two more free throws followed by a WT foul and another Mines three from the top of the key, the Buffs broke the century mark on a Walton layup from Chavlovich with 2:28 on the clock followed by a free throw by Chavlovich to make it 101-85 with 1:53 left. Highlands got two from the free throw line followed by a board and bucket by Garrett Brockman followed by a pair of Gove free throws to make it 105-87, the Cowboys hit two more from the line with just under a minute remaining followed by a WT turnover and a Highlands three from the wing to end the game, 105-92.
 
The Buffs went 35-of-64 (54.7%) from the floor including 16-of-31 (51.6%) from long range and 19-of-24 (79.2%) from the charity stripe to go along with 34 rebounds (10 offensive, 24 defensive), 26 fouls, 26 assists, 11 turnovers, one block and two steals. WT was led offensively by Evans with 22 points as he went 6-of-8 from the floor including 6-of-7 from deep followed by Chavlovich (18), Walton (16), Prince (15), and Bonner (12) in double-digits. Chavlovich also registered 10 assists in the game for a double-double.
 
New Mexico Highlands went 29-of-57 (50.9%) from the floor including 10-0f-24 (41.7%) from deep and 24-of-31 (77.4%) from the free throw line to go along with 31 rebounds (eight offensive, 23 defensive), 22 fouls, 13 assists, 10 turnovers, four blocks and six steals on the afternoon. The Cowboys were led by Mines with a game high 27 points followed by Johnson with 22 and 10 rebounds for the double-double while Lawton scored 16 points in the game.
 
NEXT TIME OUT
The Buffs continue their home stand next week as the host the Drovers of the University of Science & Arts with tipoff set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday night at the First United Bank Center in Canyon. The Drovers are currently 4-2 on the season and compete in the NAIA Sooner Athletic Conference.