WTAMU Buffs split regular season finale with Lubbock Christian

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WTAMU guard Journee Phillips shoots a 3-pointer against Lubbock Christian during a Lone Star Conference game on Saturday at the First United Bank Center. [Christian Guerrero/ WTAMU athletics]
The No. 4-ranked West Texas A&M Buffs did get a hard fought 96-91 victory to open a two-game series against Lubbock Christian on the road Thursday, however, the Buffs weren’t able to make it a clean sweep as the Chaps came into Canyon and left with a stunning 72-67 victory against the Buffs to close out the regular season on Saturday afternoon.

The Buffs suffer their first loss at home since November, but the good news is that WTAMU had already locked up a regular season Lone Star Conference title and will be the No. 1-seed in this weekend’s LSC Tournament.

The Buffs finish the regular season at 26-3 overall and 20-2 in league play. WTAMU will now get the No. 8-seed Cameron in a quarterfinal at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Comerica Center in Frisco.

Thursday’s game 

A career-high 39 points from Larry Wise powered the No. 4-ranked West Texas A&M men’s basketball team past Lone Star Conference rival Lubbock Christian, 96-91.

Wise’s scoring total moved the senior into sixth on the all-time scoring list with 1,578 points. In addition to being a career-high, Wise becomes the seventh player in WT history to score 39 or more points and ties Simmie Hill for the seventh-highest single-game scoring total.

Three Buffs reached double-digit scoring on Thursday night highlighted by a game-high 39 from Larry Wise. Ryland Holt (20) and Kieran Elliott (19) also ended their night in double figures. Holt and Ahamed Mohammed pulled in eight rebounds each while Zach Toussaint dished out three assists.

WTAMU guard Ryland Holt looks to pass against Lubbock Christian on Saturday. [Christian Guerrero/ WTAMU athletics]

Saturday’s game 

A second-half comeback wasn’t enough as WTAMU dropped the final game of the regular season to Lubbock Christian, 72-67.

Four Buffs reached double-digit scoring on Saturday afternoon led by a team-high 17 from Zach Toussaint. Kieran Elliott (16), Ryland Holt (13), and Ahamed Mohammed (10) also ended their night in double figures. Holt pulled in a game-high nine rebounds with a block and four steals while Mohammed dished out four assists.

The Buffs are now focused on their search for a seventh-consecutive Lone Star Conference Tournament title.

LSC Men’s Basketball Championships 
Friday through Sunday
at Comercia Center, Frisco 

Thursday’s quarterfinals 

No. 3 Lubbock Christian (21-9) vs. No. 6 St. Edward’s (21-10), Noon

No. 2 Dallas Baptist (24-4) vs. No. 7 Texas A&M-International (17-11), 2:30 p.m.

No. 1 West Texas A&M (26-3) vs. No. 8 Cameron (17-11), 6 p.m.

No. 4 Eastern New Mexico (19-9) vs. No. Angelo State (19-9), 8:30 p.m.

Saturday’s semifinals 

LCU-SEU winner vs. DBU-TAMI winner, Noon

WTAMU-Cameron winner vs. ENMU-ASU winner, 2:30 p.m.

Sunday’s championship

1 p.m.

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