CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M Buffaloes took a 17 point lead into the break and never looked back as sophomore guard Jerrod Walton scored a career high 27 points as the Buffs took a 92-77 win over the #12 Rams of Angelo State in front of over 1,500 fans at the First United Bank Center in Canyon, Texas. The Buffs run their win streak to six games as they improve to 18-7 (6-3 LSC) on the season while the Rams fall to 16-4 (4-4 LSC) overall.
 
The Rams started the scoring with a Prince Foster dunk off of the opening tipoff followed by a Ryan Quaid bucket before Omari Gudul answered with a bucket of his own at 4-2, Quaid hit a baseline turnaround jumper followed by an ASU miss and a Rams foul as Jeff Bonner hit one-of-two from the line at 5-4. The Rams gave the ball back with an illegal screen followed by a Bonner board-and-score and a Stedman Allen bucket before a Garrett Brockman bucket on an inbound play to make it 9-6, ASU turned the ball over followed by a WT miss inside and two Allen freebies before Jordan Evans hit a three from corner followed by another ASU turnover to head into the first media timeout of the game with WT leading 12-8 with 15:57 left.
 
Evans grabbed an offensive rebound that led to a Jerrod Walton three from the wing right after the break followed by a Quay King jumper just inside the arc before misses on both ends and a Quaid offensive board-and-score with a Rams foul as the freshman completed the three-point play at 18-10. The Rams gave the ball right back with a turnover followed by a WT miss before a Walton steal-and-score ran the WT lead to 20-10, Tre Bennett answered with an old-fashioned three-point play followed by a Foster score and Bennett layup at 20-15. The Buffs gave the ball back with a turnover followed by a Gudul jumper in the paint before a jump-ball to give ASU possession of the ball as Foster hit a three heading into a timeout with 11:47 left and the teams tied at 20-20.
 
The LSC's leading scorer David Chavlovich knocked down two at the line after the break followed by a Bonner steal and ASU foul as Rylan Gerber hit two freebies at 24-20, the teams traded misses followed by a Thomas Tshikaya fast break slam before Evans hit a contested three from the top of the key. The teams traded misses again followed by a Chavlovich floater in the lane and misses on both ends again before a WT foul and Allen hitting one-of-two at 29-23, Walton hit two freebies followed by a Rams turnover heading into another media timeout with the Buffs leading 31-23 with 7:44 left.
 
The Buffs gave the ball back with an illegal screen followed by a Napoleon Onyeje Jr. bucket before a Chavlovich layup at 33-25, Quaid grabbed a big defensive board on a jump-ball that led to a Chavlovich long ball from the wing followed by another Rams turnover and a Chavlovich pull-up trey at 39-25. The teams traded misses before the Rams cut into the lead with a Bennett fast break layup followed by a WT turnover before a Bonner rejection but the Buffs couldn't convert with 4:35 left, ASU gave the ball right back with a turnover followed by an Eric Golightly Jr. offensive board and Chavlovich baseline layup heading into a media timeout with WT leading 41-27 with 3:51 left.
 
Evans grabbed a defensive board on a missed Angelo free throw followed by an Evans three from the top of the key at 44-27, King answered with a turnaround jumper followed by a Chavlovich jumper in the lane and a Rams miss from deep but WT gave the ball right back with an offensive foul at 46-29. Gustavas Puhovs hit two from the line followed by an ASU foul but the Buffs couldn't convert as they missed from deep followed by misses on both ends as a Bonner defensive board led to an Evans NBA-range three from the wing with under a minute left. Bennett was fouled on a three attempt as the senior hit just one-of-three to give WT the final shot of the half, the Buffs missed from deep heading into the break as they took a 49-32 lead into the locker room.
 
The Buffs went 17-of-38 (44.7%) from the floor in the first half including 7-of-19 (36.8%) from deep and 8-of-11 (72.7%) from the free throw line to go along with 24 rebounds (nine offensive, 15 defensive), 10 fouls, seven assists, five turnovers, three blocks and six steals. Chavlovich went 6-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-6 from deep to score 16 points in the first half followed by Evans with 12 to go along with six rebounds.
 
Angelo State went 12-of-30 (40%) from the free throw line including 1-of-5 (20%) from deep and 7-of-11 (63.6%) from the free throw line to go along with 20 rebounds (five offensive, 15 defensive), nine fouls, six assists, 11 turnovers, one block and two steals. Bennett went 3-of-5 from the floor and 2-of-4 from the free throw line to score eight points in the first half while King, Gudul and Puhovs grabbed four rebounds each.
 
The Buffs missed two freebies to start the second half followed by a Allen turnaround jumper in the lane before an ASU foul as Quaid hit one-of-two at 50-34, the teams traded misses followed by a King bucket and a Gudul block that led to a Bennet fast break layup at 50-38. WT gave the ball away again with a turnover followed by a King three from the wing on an inbound play, Chavlovich found Evans for an easy slam followed by a Tommy Gove rebound that led to an Angelo foul and two Walton freebies at 54-41. King responded with another long ball followed by a WT miss from deep heading into a media timeout with WT leading 54-44 with 15:51 left.
 
The Buffs added to their lead after the break with two free throws from Chavlovich and a jumper in the lane by Joseph Prince at 58-47 followed by another ASU foul and an Evans offensive board as Walton hit two at the line at 60-47, Bennett responded with a three from the wing followed by Angelo's 10^th foul of the half but the Buffs missed both from the line followed by a Buffs foul as Allen hit one-of-two at 60-51. The Buffs gave the ball back with a turnover followed by a Bennett three from the wing at 60-54, ASU was called for a technical as Chavlovich hit two at the line with possession as Angelo committed another foul as Quaid hit two at the line to make it 64-54. Allen answered with a bucket inside followed by a WT miss inside as Walton rejected a Rams layup heading into a media timeout with WT leading 64-56 with 11:58 left.
 
DeVonte Pratt hit two freebies after the break followed by two freebies by Walton before the Rams missed two at the line with 11:21 left and WT leading 66-58, Walton knocked down two more at the line followed by an ASU miss inside followed by a Bonner bucket and a Rams turnover with 10:26 left heading into an Angelo timeout. Walton added to his point total with a floater in the lane followed by an ASU miss and a Chavlovich fast break layup at 74-58, Bennett cut into the lead with a three from the wing followed by a WT shot-clock violation and two Gudul free throws at 74-63. WT missed again followed by a Walton steal-and-score and a Rams turnover heading into a media timeout with the Buffs leading 76-63 with 7:59 left.
 
The Buffs missed under the basket after the break followed by a Gudul turnaround jumper in the paint and a WT miss from deep as King hit a long ball from the top of the key at 76-68 before a Walton board-and-score extended the WT lead to 78-68 with 6:20 left heading into a timeout. The Rams missed from deep after the break as Bonner grabbed a big defensive board as the senior hit one-of-two at the line followed by an Angelo turnover, Quaid added to the WT lead with a turnaround hook off of the glass followed by misses on both ends before another Walton board-and-score made it 83-68. Bennett hit three free throws followed by a Gove offensive rebound and ASU foul heading into the last media timeout of the game with WT leading 83-71 with 3:20 left.
 
Walton hit two more free throws to add to his career high with 25 points followed by a Foster bucket to cut the lead to 85-73, WT missed from deep followed by a Buff foul as Allen hit one-of-two from the line followed by an ASU foul as Walton hit two more at the line to make it 87-74. Angelo missed under the basket followed by a Rams foul as Quaid hit two at the line heading into an ASU timeout with the Buffs leading 89-74 with 1:19 left. Angelo missed from deep followed by another ASU foul as Chavlovich hit two freebies to run the lead to 91-74, Angelo missed from deep again as Angelo fouled once again as Prince hit one-of-two followed by an Angelo three for a 92-77 win.
 
The Buffs went 26-of-65 (40%) from the floor including 7-of-28 (25%) from deep and 33-of-44 (75%) from the free throw line to go along with 46 rebounds (19 offensive, 28 defensive), 21 fouls, 10 assists, nine turnovers, five blocks and seven steals. Walton went 6-of-9 from the floor including 14-of-14 from the free throw line to score a career high 27 points followed by Chavlovich (24), Quaid (14) and Evans (14) all in double-figures while Bonner grabbed a team high 11 rebounds.
 
Angelo State went 26-of-61 (42.6%) from the floor including 8-of-20 (40%) from deep and 17-of-25 (68%) from the free throw line to go along with 39 rebounds (11 offensive, 28 defensive), 29 fouls, 15 assists, 17 turnovers, two blocks and three steals. Bennett went 8-of-16 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free throw  as he scored 25 points in the game followed by King with 15 and Allen with 11 while Gudul grabbed nine rebounds.
 
The Buffs return to action this weekend as they hit the road for a Lone Star Conference matchup at the Steinke Center in Kingsville, Texas with the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas with tipoff set for 6 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. The Javelinas are currently 9-10 overall with a 1-7 mark in LSC play following a 74-71 loss to Eastern New Mexico on Wednesday night in Portales.