WICHITA FALLS, Texas – On Thursday night, West Texas A&M men's basketball went on the road and defeated longtime Lone Star Conference rival Midwestern State, 72-67. The Buffs improve to 11-1 on the road and 5-0 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
The Leaders
Four Buffs reached double-digit scoring on Thursday led by Zach Toussaint's 15 points. Ryland Holt and Larry Wise added in 14 points each while Ahamed Mohammed chipped in 10. Kieran Elliott pulled in a team-high seven rebounds in the win while also making a pair of blocks.
 
How It Happened
After a slow 4-2 start in favor of WT, an 8-0 run by the Buffs opened an early advantage. At the first media timeout of the evening, WT shot 60 percent from the field to hold a nine-point lead. Although the Buffs started hot, shooting on both sides cooled off midway through the first half. The Mustangs cut into the lead to bring the game within five with seven minutes to play in the period. With four and a half minutes to go before halftime, a three by Will Shepherd tied the game at 23. Before the half ended, WT regained the advantage to lead 33-29.
 
After halftime, an 8-0 run along with a two and a half minute scoring drought by Midwestern State allowed the Buffs to build their lead. Over the next minutes, WT would continue to build its lead although the Mustangs wouldn't let the game get out of hand. The Buffs continued to hit shots while Midwestern State went cold for nearly three minutes. A few minutes later, WT went cold allowing the Mustangs to claw their way back into the game. In the game's closing minutes, Midwestern State attempted to close the gap by fouling the Buffs. Unfortunately for the Mustangs, WT converted free throws while Midwestern State couldn't make enough shots. At the final horn, the Buffs walked away with a hard-fought 72-67 road victory.
 
Inside the Box Score

• WT leads the all-time series, 44-34.
• Head coach Tom Brown moves to 12-6 against the Mustangs.
• WT shot 40.0% (22-of-55) from the field, 33.3% (7-of-21) from deep, 70.0% from the charity stripe with 40 rebounds, seven assists, three steals, four blocks, and 12 turnovers.
• MSU shot 37.5% (24-of-64) from the floor, 31.8% (7-of-22) from the 3-point range, 63.2% at the free throw line with 38 rebounds, 13 assists, six steals, four blocks, and 12 turnovers.

 
Up Next
WT stays on the road and heads to Lawton, Okla. for a 3 p.m. matchup with Cameron at the Aggie Gym on Saturday, Jan. 6.
 
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