CANYON, Texas – Damion Thornton scored a game-high 26 points as the West Texas A&M men's basketball team defeated the Dallas Baptist Patriots 82-77 at the Burg Center in Dallas. Thornton's 26 points eclipsed his previous season-high of 24 set earlier this season against Texas A&M International on Dec. 10.
The Leaders
Thornton led the Buffs with 26 points on efficient 10-of-13 shooting including 3-of-3 from three-point range and 3-of-3 from the free throw line, adding four assists, one block, one steal, and five rebounds to his stat line.
Julius Brown added 17 points, five assists, and five steals for WT while
Ahamed Mohammed scored 12 points.
How It Happened
The Buffs used bursts of offensive in the opening half of play while playing a suffocating style of defense. After DBU tied the game at the 16:09 mark, WT used a seven-point streak to regain the lead. After exchanging buckets with the Patriots, the Buffs used another 6-0 run to push their advantage to 11. A few minutes later, the scoring continued as Thornton's pull up jumper with 5:14 before halftime extended the lead to a first half high 14 points. DBU closed the half on an 8-2 run, but WT kept a seven-point lead into the locker room. Through 20 minutes of play, Brown and Thornton combined for 26 of the Buffs' 40 points.
Out of the break, WT started cold from the field. The Buffs' scoring drought allowed the Patriots to cut the lead down to three. WT immediately responded with a 7-2 run of their own, pushing the lead back to eight. When DBU looked to gain an advantage and close the gap, the Buffs responded with critical buckets to retain their lead.
Down the stretch, the Patriots brought the game down to two. On the next trip down the court, Thornton sliced through the DBU defense and nailed a step-back three to quiet the home crowd. After a Patriot layup, Thornton put the Buffs on his back, nailing another three and pushed the lead to five before a pair of free throws by Mohammed with eight seconds left iced the game. DBU added a bucket as the game ended, but the Buffs walked away winners.
Inside the Box Score
- WT leads the all-time series 9-11, 2-0 in Dallas.
- Head coach Tom Brown moves to 7-1 against the Patriots.
- WT shot 50.8% (32-of-63) from the field, 36.4% (8-of-22) from deep, 71.4% from the charity stripe with 27 rebounds, 12 assists, nine steals, two blocks, and five turnovers.
- DBU shot 53.6% (30-of-56) from the floor, 36.8% (7-of-19) from the 3-point range, 83.3% (10-of-12) at the free throw line with 31 rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, and 13 turnovers.
- Zach Toussaint moved to 12th on the all-time scoring list with 1,192 points, passing Simmi Hill.
Up Next
The Buffs continue their four-game road trip with a matchup against UT Tyler on Saturday, Jan. 21 at 3 p.m. The following week WT takes on Cameron on Thursday, Jan. 26 at 7:30 p.m. and Midwestern State on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 3 p.m.
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