FRISCO, Texas – No. 18 West Texas A&M recorded the program's fifth consecutive Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship on Sunday afternoon after defeating Texas A&M-Kingsville, 77-70.   The Buffs continue their postseason run with a 28-6 overall record while the Javelinas will wait for their regional fate with an overall record of 18-10. 
 
Julius Brown was named the Tournament Most Valuable Player after scoring 76 total points throughout the tournament.  Hayden Blankley and Zach Toussaint were also named to the All-Tournament team after combining for 31 points in the championship game. Toussaint finished the day with 19 points after going 4-of-18 from the field, 3-of-11 from the deep and 8-8 at the free throw line while Blankley posted 12 points with seven rebounds alongside Jesse Iweze. 
 
The Javelinas opened scoring in the opening 44-seconds with Dayante McClellan's layup before Larry Wise put the Buffs on the board after Iweze brought down the offensive rebound.  WT and TAMUK alternated scores until Brown drained a fastbreak shot from the deep to help the Buffs grab a substantial lead. 
 
With 8:49 remaining in the half, Jordan Wilson leveled the score at 19-all until the Buffs responded with a 7-0 run led by a trey from Blankley.  Brown drew the foul in the paint to head to the line where the junior knocked in both free throws to make it 39-32 at the intermission.
 
Wilson led off scoring in the second half to bring the score within five but was quickly responded with five consecutive points from WT to extend the lead to double-figures. 
 
The lead would get as low as nine, 58-49, with 8:29 remaining in regulation but Brown drove up the lane to push the lead back to double figures and restore the momentum for the Buffs.  
 
Wise would post his seventh point of the game to give the Buffs a 15-point lead, 70-55, the largest of the night.  It was once again a 10-point game with under two minutes left but the Buffs held on to secure the program's 11^th conference title. 
 
The Buffs earned the LSC's automatic bid to the NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament and will their seed during tonight's selection show scheduled for 9:30 p.m. CT.