QUICK HITS
- West Texas A&M started off the game on a 7-0 run and never trailed in the opening half
- WT shot 55.2% (16-of-29) from the floor in the first half compared to 22.6% (7-of-31) by Bayamon
- The Cowboys registered 21 of their 22 points in the first half from behind the arc (7-of-18)
- The Buffs held as much as a 22 point lead in the second half (8:27)
 
LEADING THE WAY (Statistical Leaders)
Points – Jerrod Walton (WT, 15 Points), Johnatan Roman (UPRB, 13 Points), Luis Gonzalez (UPRB, 13 Points)
Rebounds – Jeff Bonner (WT, 12 Rebounds), David Chavlovich (WT, 9 Rebounds), Eric Golightly Jr, (WT, 8 Rebounds), Jordan Evans (WT, 7 Rebounds), Alexis Parrilla (UPRB, 6 Rebounds)
Assists - Johnatan Roman (UPRB, 4 Assists), David Chavlovich (WT, 3 Assists), Jerrod Walton (WT, 3 Assists)
Blocks –  Jeff Bonner (WT, 2 Blocks), Ryan Quaid (WT, 1 Block), Antonio Ferreira (WT, 1 Block), Zabdiel Rubio (UPRB, 1 Block)
Steals – Nathaniel Martinez (UPRB, 5 Steals), Jordan Evans (WT, 4 Steals)
 
BAYAMON, Puerto Rico –  The West Texas A&M Buffaloes used the power of four players in double-digits as they held as much as a 22 point lead in the second half before outlasting the Cowboys of Puerto Rico-Bayamon on Thursday night, 72-64 on the campus of UPRB. The Buffs move to 9-4 on the season while the NCAA Division II Independent Cowboys fall to 0-6.
 
Both teams started off cold from the floor as nearly three minutes went by before a Jarrod Walton layup started off the scoring, WT added to their lead with a long ball by Eric Golightly Jr. followed by a layup by the transfer to give the Buffs the early 7-0 lead. The Cowboys answered with a three of their own before a Tommy Gove long ball forced a Bayamon timeout with 12:38 on the clock and WT leading 10-3, UPRB answered after the break with a three followed by a free throw to cut the lead to 10-7 before David Chavlovich connected on a jumper followed a possession later by a Antonio Ferreira free throw at 13-7.
 
Jordan Evans registered a three-point play on an offensive rebound and tip-in to end a drought by both teams followed by a Chavlovich steal that led to a Gove fast break layup to run the WT lead to 20-7 heading into a Buffs timeout with 7:58 left. The Cowboys cut into the lead after the break with a three followed by turnovers on both ends of the floor before a Jeff Bonner offensive rebound and layup at 22-10, Walton picked off a pass and took it to the rim for a slam before Bayamon answered with a three at 24-13 with 4:55 left.
 
Bonner added to hit game total with a tip-in followed by a steal-and-slam by Evans with just over four minutes to play before the Cowboys answered again with a long ball at 28-16, WT gave the ball right back with a turnover followed by another Bayamon three before a pair of freebies by Walton to run the lead to 30-19. The teams traded misses before a Ferreira defensive board led to a Ryan Quaid layup before the Cowboys hit another three to head into a WT timeout with 1:43 left and the Buffs leading 32-22, Ferreira answered with a jumper after the break followed a possession later by a Walton layup with just under a minute to play. Bayamon gave the ball right back with a turnover that led to another Walton bucket right before the half to send the teams into a locker room with a 38-22 lead.
 
The Buffs went 16-of-29 (55.2%) from the floor in the first half including 2-of-4 (50%) from long range and 4-of-14 (28.6%) from the charity stripe to go along with 25 rebounds (nine offensive, 16 defensive), four fouls, seven assists, two blocks and eight steals. Walton went a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor in the first half to lead WT with 10 points followed by Golightly Jr. and Evans with five points each.
 
Bayamon scored the first four points of the second half to cut the lead to 38-26 before Evans hit one-of-two from the charity stripe before Chavlovich knocked down a three followed by a Bonner steal and Walton layup at 44-26, the Cowboys ended their three minute scoring drought with a layup followed a few possessions later by Bayamon hitting one-of-two freebies at 44-29. Quaid ended the WT scoring drought with a layup followed by a UPRB turnover that led to a Quaid tip-in before two free throws by the Cowboys to head into a Bayamon timeout with the Buffs leading 48-31 with 11:43 left.
 
The Cowboys cut into the lead after the break with a quick layup before Chavlovich answered with a long ball for his eighth points of the game at 51-33, WT added to their lead a possession later with a Quaid layup before Bayamon answered with a three of their own but Golightly Jr. answered with a long ball at 56-36. Walton struck again with a layup following a Quaid offensive rebound for their largest lead of the game before a Cowboys bucket that forced a WT timeout with the Buffs leading 58-38 with 7:04 left.
 
Bayamon got two points back with a layup after the break before Chavlovich answered with a long ball followed by another Cowboys layup at 61-43, UPRB hit one-of-two from the line before Evans added to the WT lead with a layup before another free throw by Bayamon with 5:15 left heading into a timeout. UPRB continued their run with a three after the break followed by a WT turnover that led to another Bayamon long ball at 63-52, Bonner ended the run with a layup before Bayamon answered with a three followed by misses on both ends before a Cowboys free throw cut the lead to single digits at 65-56.
 
The Buffs used the free throw line to their advantage as Golightly Jr. hit one-of-two followed by a Bayamon miss and foul as Golightly Jr. hit one more from the line before Bayamon responded with a layup at 67-58. WT gave the ball right back as the Cowboys hit two from the line to head into a UPRB timeout with the Buffs holding a 67-60 lead with 1:23 left. Bayamon cut into the lead again after the break with a layup before Evans knocked down a jumper followed by a WT foul as Bayamon hit two from the line at 69-64, Walton hit one-of-two from the line followed by a huge defensive board for Evans to force UPRB to foul as the sophomore hit two at the line to end the game, 72-64.
 
The Buffs went 28-of-57 (49.1%) from the floor including 6-of-20 (30%) from long range and 10-of-26 (38.5%) from the charity stripe to go along with 49 total rebounds (18 offensive, 31 defensive), 16 fouls, 13 assists, 24 turnovers, four blocks and 14 steals. Walton went 6-of-7 from the floor to lead the Buffs with 15 points followed by Evans (12), Chavlovich (11) and Golightly Jr. (10) while Bonner grabbed 12 rebounds in the contest.
 
UPR-Bayamon went 20-of-62 (32.3%) from the field in the game including 11-of-29 (37.9%) from deep and 13-of-18 (72.2%) from the free throw line to go along with 34 rebounds (13 offensive, 21 defensive), 23 fouls, 12 assists, 20 turnovers, one block and 14 steals. Roman and Gonzalez combined to go 7-of-17 from the floor to score 13 points each for the Cowboys.
 
NEXT TIME OUT
WT will wrap-up their trip on Friday morning as they take on UPR-Humacao at 11 a.m. CT before taking the mandatory NCAA holiday break before starting Lone Star Conference play on New Year's Eve against the Cameron Aggies (4 p.m.) at the First United Bank Center in Canyon.