LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 5 West Texas A&M advanced to their fourth straight NCAA Division II South Central Regional Final with a 82-65 win over No. 16 DBU on Sunday evening at the Rip Griffin Center in Lubbock. The Buffs shot 49.0 percent from the floor as they improved to 16-2 on the season.
Four Buffs scored in double figures led by a game-high 21 points from Joel Murray. The junior also tied a career-high with nine assists to go along with seven rebounds. Qua Grant had 20 points, nine rebounds and six steals while Zach Toussaint scored all 13 points of his points in the second half. Hayden Blankley reached double figures for the seventh time in his career with 12 while pulling down seven rebounds off the bench.
The Buffs led 8-7 at the first media timeout before Grant hit back-to-back 3-pointers as part of a 7-0 run that pushed the lead to eight, 15-7. WT continued to shoot well from beyond the arc as Murray connected from downtown at 13:10 to make it 18-12.
Blankley made his first of four first half 3-pointers at 9:58 to make it 25-18 in favor of WT. The sophomore would score six of the next seven points for the Buffs as they lead by 11, 34-23, with less than seven minutes remaining in the first half.
One of Grant's six first half steals turned into easy points for the Buffs as they lead 36-28 heading into the final media timeout of the half. Blankley continued to punish the Patriots from 3-point range with another triple to make 39-30 at 2:44. Murray scored the final basket of the half for the Buffs at 1:54 as they led 41-34 at halftime.
Much like they did their previous three meeting this season, DBU was able to cut into the Buffs halftime lead in the opening five minutes in the second half. Chandler Jacobs' driving layup at 15:28 made it a four-point game, 47-43, before Grant hit a 3-pointer following a jump ball to spark a 7-0 run for the Buffs.
The lead would continue to grow as Murray hit a jumper with 10:29 remaining in the game to put the Buffs up 15, 60-45. A Carson Hughes 3-pointer four minutes later would cut the lead to 9, 64-55, but the Patriots would get no closer as WT went on a 9-0 run to push the lead to 18, 73-55. Toussaint hit 3-pointers on consecutive possession to force a DBU timeout followed by a three from Murray after Jacobs missed a jumper on the other end.
The lead would reach a game-high 19, 76-57, with less than three minutes in regulation with Toussaint's third and final 3-pointer of the game. Cameron Bell scored the final points of the game from the charity stripes as WT improved to 6-1 all-time against the Patriots.
The Buffs will face No.10 Lubbock Christian in the NCAA DII South Central Regional Final on Tuesday, March 16. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.
