KINGSVILLE, Texas – Qua Grant went over 1,000 career points as No. 4 West Texas A&M defeated Texas A&M-Kingsville, 75-64, on Thursday evening to avenge last season's loss in Kingsville. The sophomore needed only 57 games to eclipse the mark as WT improved to 18-1 overall and 10-1 in Lone Star Conference play.
WT lead 8-2 in the opening minutes as Joel Murray and Derrick Geddis connected from 3-point range with Grant chipping in a layup. John Brown would score three straight points for the Buffs including a dunk as they lead 11-4 at the 14:55 mark.
The Javelinas would outscore the Buffs 13-4 over the next four minutes to take their only lead of the game at 17-15 on a Daniel Severo 3-pointer. A pair of free throws from Jon'il Fugett started a 10-1 run that included a jumper from Brown and a pair of 3-pointers from Grant.
Grant would reach double figures with a layup at 5:17 to push the Buffs lead to eight, 29-21. JT Warren connected on his first 3-pointer in nine games at 1:21 to end a Javelina run and send the Buffs into halftime leading 35-29.
The Buffs would push their lead to double digits right before the first media of the second half on a layup from Murray. Warren's second 3-pointer of the contest a minute later pushed the lead to 14, 46-32.
Grant would connect on his third 3-pointer of the game with just under 11 minutes remaining in regulation to make it a 19-point game, 57-38. The sophomore would continue to score at will as he had four straight points to make a 19-point lead, 63-44, at 6:47.
The Javelinas would not go down without a fight as they cut WT's lead to 10 in the final minute before Grant made a pair of free throws with 10 second remaining in the game to go over 1,000 career points.
Grant finished with a game-high 28 points going 9-of-18 from the floor, 4-of-7 from three and 6-of-6 from the free throw with six rebounds and four steals. Murray reached double figures for the 20th straight game with 15 points a game-high six assists. Geddis chipped in 11 points and six boards while Brown added nine points off the bench.
WT finishes its two-game road trip on Saturday, Jan. 25, against Texas A&M International in Laredo. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at the KCB. The Dustdevils ended a 14-game losing streak with a win over Eastern New Mexico on Thursday.
