EDMOND, Okla. – West Texas A&M men's basketball held off upset-minded Central Oklahoma as the Buffs held on to win 85-78. The Buffs improve to 4-0 on the season with the win.
 
The Leaders
Four Buffs reached double-digit scoring on Friday night led by a team-high 20 from Ahamed Mohammed. Noah Pagotto (18), Jailyn Sledge (15), and Amir McMillian (13) also ended their night in double figures. Sledge recorded his first collegiate double-double, grabbing 10 rebounds with a team-high four steals.
 
How It Happened
Central Oklahoma started the game with a bang as Israel Hart found Luke Haasl for an alley-oop 10 seconds into the game. After the teams exchanged buckets, WT didn't let the dramatic start faze them, rattling off a 7-0 run to force a timeout from the Bronchos. The Buffs held the lead for the game's next minutes before UCO tied the game at 15 with 12 to play in the half.  WT and the Bronchos swapped turns with the lead before back-to-back threes from Nicholas Jett and Sledge put the Buffs up three. UCO regained the advantage with 2:45 to play, stretching its lead to nine as the half went down the stretch. Before the half ended, McMillian nailed the floater as the half expired, sending the teams into halftime with UCO leading 41-34.
 
 
After the midway break, the Buffs quickly cut the lead down and brought the game back within a possession. The Bronchos restored their seven-point advantage, but a 6-0 run by Pagotto put WT in position to take the lead. With 14 minutes to play, the Buffs did just that as McMillian converted the and-one after making the layup through contact. Midway through the second half, the game remained tied as the teams went to a media timeout. After the timeout, a Sledge three capped off an 11-2 streak which extended the WT lead to nine. With pressure mounting inside the Hamilton Field House, the Bronchos had an opportunity to tie the game with a pair of free throws. JV Seat converted the first attempt before missing the second, setting up a Mohammed three on the other end. The three kick-started an 8-0 run to help the Buffs close out the road win.
 
WT returns home for a South Central Region matchup with Adams State on Thursday, Nov. 21. The Buffs and Grizzlies are scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. inside the First United Bank Center.
 
Inside the Box Score

• The Buffs lead the all-time series with Central Oklahoma, 27-22.
• Head coach Tom Brown moves to 2-0 against the Bronchos.
• WT shot 43.8% (28-of-64) from the field, 31.8% (7-of-22) from deep, 73.3% from the charity stripe with 36 rebounds, six assists, 13 steals, and 12 turnovers.
• Central Oklahoma shot 42.4% (25-of-59) from the floor, 33.3% (7-of-22) from the 3-point range, 72.4% at the free throw line with 39 rebounds, eight assists, five steals, five blocks, and 18 turnovers.

 
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