Lone Star Conference Basketball: Favorite West Texas A&M set for chance at repeat
The West Texas A&M men’s basketball team is anxious to get to Frisco for the Lone Star Conference tournament, where the Buffaloes will meet Cameron in the quarterfinals at 6 p.m. Thursday.
The Buffaloes are ready to enter the Comerica Center, where they hold a 15-0 record inside the practice facility for the Dallas Stars. The men are also prepared to get the bad taste of losing two of their last three games entering the postseason out.
Don’t let the recent slide fool you. The Buffs are the favorites heading into the conference tournament for many reasons. WT has won an unprecedented six consecutive LSC tournament titles under head coach Tom Brown, who has cemented his place among the greatest coaches in the history of the Lone Star Conference.
Five WT players are averaging 10 or more points per game, led by Larry Wise and Zach Toussaint. Wise leads the Buffs in scoring (19.9 points per game), assists (3.5 per game), and minutes per game (32) while adding 5.4 rebounds per contest. The senior from Waxahachie is currently sixth amongst WT’s all-time leading scorers.
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Toussaint is fourth on the list of all-time leading scorers. The senior sharpshooter from Johnsburg, Illinois, needs two points to move past Qua Grant and 11 points to eclipse Ryan Quaid for second. Toussaint enters the postseason having made 67 of 160 shots from 3-point range for an impressive 41.9%.
Defensively, the Buffs are led by Ryland Holt. The senior from Gibson City, Ill., leads the LSC with 42 blocked shots this season while adding a team-leading 40 steals. A favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, Holt adds 11.3 points and five rebounds per game on the offensive end.
With a victory over Cameron, WT will meet the winner of Eastern New Mexico and Angelo State at 2:30 p.m. Saturday. The championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday. The Buffs are hoping to add a conference-leading 13th title. WT is seeking its seventh straight LSC championship. Midwestern State sits second in LSC tournament championships all-time with seven.
Lady Buffs enter LSC Tournament as No. 7 seed
The Lady Buffs are seeking an LSC record 17th tournament title and second championship in the last three conference tournaments. WT enters as the No. 7 seed and will meet No. 2 seed UT Tyler at 2:30 p.m. Friday. The winner will meet UT Permian Basin or Angelo State at 8:30 p.m. Saturday. The championship game is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. All games will be streamed on the Lone Star Conference digital network.
WT meets the Patriots in the quarterfinals of the LSC tournament for the second consecutive season. UT Tyler defeated the Lady Buffs 75-54 last season. However, WT won its only meeting this season against the reigning South Central Regional champions, with a 73-54 victory over the Patriots at the end of January.
The Lady Buffs are led by Karley Motschenbacher, who leads the team in points (11.4), steals (1.77), and minutes (32.6) per game. Senior Nyalam Thabach is a force in the paint. The Boise, Idaho native leads WT in rebounds (7.8) and blocks (1.13) per game.
The Lone Star Conference tournament winners earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional. The teams and hosts for the national tournament will be revealed on NCAA.com Sunday night. The women’s bracket will be announced at 9:30 p.m., with the men’s selection show at 10 p.m.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Favored West Texas A&M ready to repeat at LSC Basketball Tournament
