COMMERCE— The Texas A&M University-Commerce men's basketball team will head to Canyon to face West Texas A&M on Thursday. It will be a matchup of the teams tied for third place in the Lone Star Conference. The Lions defeated WT 104-103 in double overtime at home earlier this season.
WHO: Texas A&M-Commerce (18-7, 10-6 LSC) at West Texas A&M (22-7, 10-6 LSC)
WHERE: First United Bank Center in Canyon, Texas
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
LIVE STATS: http://statb.us/b/150849
LIVE VIDEO: http://portal.stretchinternet.com/wtamu/
LIVE AUDIO: www.ketr.org
The Lions are coming off of a nail-biting 83-82 win over conference leader Tarleton State on Thursday. The win over the top team in the region is something that is still bringing a smile to head coach
Sam Walker's face.
"I'm still enjoying that one right there," he said. "It was a big win for our program and a big win for our season. It was a huge win as far as where we stand in the regional rankings that come out Wednesday. We are making a push to finish as high as we can in the conference and we are right there in the hunt to get into the regional tournament so it was a big win for us."
For his performance,
Marquieth Russell was named the LSC Defensive Player of the Week. Russell had five blocks in the game and Walker was pleased with the effort his big man brought on both ends of the floor.
"That's the fourth time, with
Dorian Armstrong winning it three times and now for Marquieth to get it, that our center has anchored us defensively," he said. "It changes the game when you have an inside presence on the defensive end. We have so many little guards that we run in and out and they do such a good job on the defensive end. It comes with a lot of pleasure to me that we are winning games with defense when that is what we are preaching in practice every day."
The road doesn't get any easier for the Lions as they face the team tied with them for third place in the conference in West Texas A&M, a team the Lions defeated in double overtime in January. Walker is glad that his team will have played the top three teams in the conference in the final three games of the regular season. He knows it will prepare his team for the conference tournament and, he hopes, a regional bid.
"No. 1 then No. 2 then No. 3. This time of year, you have to play those types of teams," he said. "That is what we are going to play in the conference tournament and then if we are fortunate enough to go to regionals, you are going to play good teams. It's not that the schedule is against us. It is nice that at this time of year, we are going to get to play the teams where we get into a routine of preparing for the top teams."
The Buffs are undefeated at home and the Lions' next opponent, UT Permian Basin, has only lost once on its home floor. Walker knows the road games will be a huge test. No matter what his team's record is coming out of the week, he hopes for just one thing.
"At the end of the day, as we have said all along, we just need to be playing good basketball at the end," he said. "If we get done with this road trip, whether we win two games or lose two games or split, we need to be a good basketball team on Saturday evening as we get ready to go to Allen and try to win that tournament and try to extend our season as long as we can."
