#WTDarkHorse – Vote for Antjuan Ball in the Dark Horse Dunker Competition up to 3x every day (Facebook, Twitter, Email). Semi-Final voting ends Wednesday, March 4 at NOON! VOTE HERE! vs No. 4 seed Texas A&M-Commerce 3-5-15: (Live Stats / Audio / Tickets) Buffalo Basketball Game Notes ALLEN, Texas – The West Texas A&M men's basketball team will be back in action this Thursday, March 5, as it begins the 2015 Lone Star Conference Tournament with a first round/quarterfinal matchup against No. 4 seed Texas A&M-Commerce. The Buffs and Lions will tipoff from the Allen Event Center in Allen, Texas at approximately 8:30 p.m. After coming into the year picked last in the LSC Preseason Poll, the Buffs went on to earn the No. 5 seed in this year's Championship after finishing the year with a 17-11 (7-7, LSC) record, The Lions come into the tournament with a 21-7 record and 9-5 mark in LSC play.
LIVE COVERAGE: Live stats will be available for the contest and will be provided by the LSC. Fans can also listen to the game as always on the radio by tuning into 98.7 Jack FM. Additional live updates can be seen by following @wtathletics on Twitter. Links can be found at the top of the page or on www.GoBuffsGo.com via the men's basketball schedule page.
DUMARS CLIMBING THE RANKS: Senior
Tez Dumars became the 18th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 career points this season. The Dallas, Texas, native did so on Jan. 7 in Wichita Falls during a road contest against MSU. His 20 points on Saturday then bumped his career total to 1,205, moving him into fifth place all-time on the career scoring list. Dumars needs just 23 points now to move into the top-four and pass WT-great Maurice Cheeks.
#WTDARKHORSE ANTJUAN BALL: Senior
Antjuan Ball has been selected as one of 16 finalists nationally who is competing in the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker Competition, and has now made it through to the Semi-Finals as one of the final four remaining. Semi-Final voting began Wednesday, Feb. 25, and will go till Wednesday, March 4, in a bracket-style format, where the winner each week advances on until a final fan favorite is selected. The winner of the competition will earn the final roster spot in the 2015 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, which will be aired live on ESPN will take place during Final Four Weekend in Indianapolis, Ind. The winner will be solely determined by the fans and ballots can be cast once PER DAY PER PLATFORM (ex. Twitter, Facebook, Email). It can be found on www.DarkHorseDunker.com. Antjuan holds a big lead currently as Semi-Final round voting will end at 12 p.m. this Wednesday. The Finals will begin immediately at that time, and last for one week as well before a champion is crowned on Wednesday, March 11 at Noon.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT: Freshman guard
David Chavlovich continues to impress in his first year with the Buffs as he is the team's leading scorer with 16.7 PPG. He ranks second in the LSC within the category and leads all freshmen in the league. He has been lethal from beyond the arc as well, ranking fourth in the LSC in 3FG% at .399 while topping all league individuals in 3FG attempts, 3FG's made, and made-per-game. Additionally, fellow freshman
Carl White has made a huge presence on the defensive side of the ball, ranking third in the LSC in blocks averaging 1.3 per game with 35 total.
GATEWOOD PICKS UP WEEKLY HONORS AGAIN: Senior
Miles Gatewood had an outstanding final home game on Saturday during a Senior Day win over rival Eastern New Mexico, 96-86. Gatewood scored 24 points while leading the team in all shooting categories, going an impressive .700 from the field, making a career-high six triples for a .667 shooting percentage, and went .667 as well from the charity stripe, also leading the Buffs. He went on to lead the team in assists with five while adding three rebounds and a steal as well. This marks Gatewood's second such award in three weeks.
QUICK LOOK INSIDE THE TAMUC SERIES: WT leads the all-time series with the Lions, 47-29; however, the Buffs have lost four straight, including a 76-75 heartbreaking loss at home and a 73-69 defeat on the road this season. Prior to the 2013-14 season, WT had won six-straight against the Lions. The Buffs and Lions have a long history in the LSC Tournament as they have met nine times dating back to the 1987-'88 season. In thos games, WT holds a narrow 5-4 edge. The last meeting in the tournament went to TAMUC, a 69-63 decsision in 2008, while the last WT win was an 82-80 contest the year prior in 2007.
The Buffs have won six LSC Championships with their last coming during the 2005-'06 season. WT's last first round win came against Cameron in 2013. Before last year, the Buffs had been victorious in four-straight tournament-opening games.
HEAD COACH TOM BROWN: WT welcomed in its 17th head coach in program history in the spring of 2014 in
Tom Brown who comes to Canyon after an impressive career as the Associate Head Coach at Winona State, one of the most successful Division II men's basketball programs in recent history. Brown coached the Warriors to two National Championships and three appearances in the title game while at WSU. His accomplishments there also include four Elite Eight appearances, six conference championships, five conference tournament titles, 10-straight 20 win seasons, 10 All-Americans and three National Players of the Year.
