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Western New Mexico University Athletics

Western New Mexico University Athletics
Davis Wade
Jay Hemphill, WNMU
93
Winner A&M-Commerce TAMUC 17-4, 9-3 LSC
87
Western N.M. WNMU 3-18, 0-12 LSC
Winner
A&M-Commerce TAMUC
17-4, 9-3 LSC
93
Final
87
Western N.M. WNMU
3-18, 0-12 LSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 OT 1 F
A&M-Commerce TAMUC 40 37 16 93
Western N.M. WNMU 32 45 10 87

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Brian Kortz

Mustangs and Lions Play OT Thriller

SILVER CITY, N.M. – With the stands rocking throughout the second half, the play was top-notch on both ends of the floor and would come down to the final seconds. #22 Texas A&M-Commerce used a late three-pointer to send the game to overtime and then hit some clutch shots down the stretch to claim the 93-87 Lone Star Conference victory over the Western New Mexico University men's basketball team Thursday night.

WNMU (3-18, 0-12 LSC) looked poised to claim the win, holding a 73-68 lead with 1:57 to play. Reggie Reid then took it upon himself to lead Texas A&M-Commerce (17-4, 9-3 LSC) back and he basically did it by himself. He hit back-to-back shots in the paint, around two foul shots by junior Jordan Enriquez (El Paso, TX/Bel Air) to keep it a three-point game with 1:12 to play.

After the Mustangs missed a layup and the Lions turned it over on the fastbreak, WNMU moved in front 77-72 after two foul shots by junior Davis Wade (Jackson, MS/Will C Wood) with just 23 seconds to play. Everything looked good for the Mustangs, but back came the shifty Reid who went coast-to-coast again for the third time in the last 45 seconds to put in a layup and make it a three-point contest with 19 seconds.

A&M-Commerce and WNMU then traded timeouts and on the ensuing in-bounds pass, the Mustangs tried to get it in near the baseline, but a double-team quickly came forcing the travel and turnover with 17 seconds to play.

The Lions then went quick and as Daquane Willford drove, he kicked it into the corner for a wide open Willie Rooks who drained the three-pointer to knot the game at 77. Enriquez pushed the play with the clock ticking down and he released one near the top of the key that just rimmed out to send the game into overtime.

To start the OT, both teams were dialing long distance. Wade got things started with a nothing but net trey 30 seconds in. Rooks answered right back with his own three. After Wade hit another long ball following an offensive rebound by sophomore Tyshaun Copper (Brooklyn, N.Y./Brooklyn Collegiate Prep School), Srdan Budimir picked a good time for his first three of the game to even the score at 83 with 3:10 to play.

Enriquez hit two from the line and then a jumper by Copper in the paint had the Mustangs holding an 87-83 lead with two minutes to play. A&M-Commerce regrouped, as Reid answered right back with a difficult runner in the paint and he was also fouled converting the three-point-play. WNMU then missed on their ensuing three-point try and Reid made the Mustangs pay as his initial shot was blocked, but Budimir grabbed the rebound and found Reid in the corner and he sunk the trey to push the Lions to an 89-87 lead with a minute to play.

The Mustangs looked to regain the lead, but the three-point shot was just off and the Lions snagged the rebound. Reid hit two more from the line to move the lead to four and following another missed three by WNMU, the Lions were able to seal the victory hitting foul shots down the stretch.

A&M-Commerce opened the game on an 8-2 run three minutes in. Wade then took over with a three-pointer and then after he hit three from the line, junior Jon-Reese Woodson (Corpus Christi, TX/Carroll) converted a layup to move WNMU ahead at 14-10 at the 12:13 mark.

Woodson would convert a few minutes later when his baseline jumper kept WNMU holding a 16-12 lead. After that, the Lions roared going on a 13-0 run to pull ahead 25-16.

The lead got as high as 13 at 38-25 on a layup by Reid, but the Mustangs made some key shots the remainder of the half with Davis hitting a three, Enriquez hitting a foul shot and then on a steal by senior Latrell Spivey (Phoenix, AZ/Westview), junior Willie McCray (Clovis, NM/Clovis/Westwind Prep Academy) popped in a three at the buzzer to cut the deficit to eight, 40-32, at the half.

A&M-Commerce kept the lead around 10 points throughout the early parts of the second half before WNMU was able to whittle the deficit down to three with 7:09 to play as Copper, Enriquez and Copper again accounted for a quick 6-0 spurt.

The Mustangs fought back to tie at 65 on three free throws by McCray and then regained the lead with 3:30 to play on a three-pointer by Enriquez. That setup the wild finish between the teams.

Wade exploded for a season-high 23 points, making 5-8 from the field, all from three-point range, 8-8 from the foul line and also added two rebounds and two assists. McCray was right behind with 20 points on 6-9 shooting. He went 3-3 from three-point land and added three rebounds and two assists. Enriquez was the third Mustang in double-figures with 19 points, as he went 13-14 from the foul line. Spivey pulled down 11 rebounds and Copper sent back two blocks, while adding seven points.

Reid was a force all game long for the Lions as he poured in a game-high 35 points on 12-20 shooting. He also had four assists and three steals. Rooks added 22 points, going 4-9 from three and Aaron Horne posted 18 points, going 3-3 from long range. Dorian Armstrong grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds.

Both teams spent a lot of time at the foul line as WNMU went 32-40 (80) at the charity stripe, while A&M-Commerce went 19-30 (63). The Lions made 31-69 (45) from the field and 12-28 (43) from three. WNMU answered making 22-48 (46) from the field and 11-23 (48) from three.

WNMU enjoyed a big advantage on bench points outscoring the Lions 37-5. They also held a 12-6 edge on fastbreak points. A&M-Commerce dominated the paint holding a 36-14 advantage.

The Mustangs will remain home this coming Saturday when they will host Tarleton State starting at 4 p.m. The Texans fell at Eastern New Mexico, 61-57, earlier tonight.
 
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