By BRAD KEITH
TheFlashToday.com
STEPHENVILLE (February 16, 2017) — Tarleton State had a chance to clinch at least a share of the Lone Star Conference championship Thursday.
Texas A&M-Commerce didn’t care.
The Lions (18-7, 10-6) were too busy trying to climb in the LSC standings and add a quality win to their own regional resume, and that’s exactly what they did, halting the six-game win streak of regional No. 1 Tarleton (22-4, 13-3) in a 83-82 Lone Star Conference battle at the Field House.
Tarleton, ranked ninth in the Division II coaches poll, allowed 80 points for the first time since an 84-83 win over Western Washington in the South Point Holiday Hoops Classic in Las Vegas back in December.
The Lions built a 14-point lead on the strength of their second-half 3-point shooting, and held on despite Tarleton charging within one in the final minute.
Chantz Chambers poured in a career-high 33 points, the most by a Tarleton player this season. Romond Jenkins recorded a double-double for the 15th time this season, and it was the first time Tarleton lost when he did that. The senior center had 11 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in just 26 minutes, fouling out with less than two minutes remaining.
TAMUC was led by Malik Albert with 19 points, Trey Seymore with 13 and Daquane Willford with a surprising 11 off the bench, part of a 35-5 bench scoring advantage. The Lions were 6-11 from the arc in the second half and outscored Tarleton 35-5 off the bench, enough to overcome Tarleton’s 39-29 rebounding advantage.
It was 78-67 following two Albert free throws with 1:11 remaining, and all of a sudden, a desperate Tarleton team became a dangerous one.
Anthony Davis was fouled shooting a 3 and hit the first two free throws only to have Chambers rebound the third and bury a left corner 3 that cut it to 78-72 with 55 seconds left.
Dorian Armstrong made one of two foul shots 10 seconds later, then Nosa Ebomwonyi was fouled and hit two for Tarleton, trimming it to 79-74 with 44 seconds still to go. Jovan Austin returned the favor for TAMUC, before a jumper by Ridell Camidge, who scored 14, with 34 ticks on the clock.
Then came the wild final half minute, beginning with Dorian Armstrong missing two free throws for TAMUC before who else, Chambers, hit another Tarleton three to cut it to 82-79 with three seconds left. Chambers scored seven points in the final two minutes and change.
Tarleton fouled immediately on the inbound pass, but Jovan Austin made the second free throw to wrap up the upset for the Lions. Freshman Brandon Willis buried a 3 with less than a second on the clock for Tarleton, but it was too little, too late.
TAMUC led by three at the half, saw Tarleton go on top 38-37 on a pair of Anthony Davis free throws early in the second half, then took the lead for good on a 3 by Seymore, who also had five boards, five assists and two steals. That ignited a 7-0 run that made it 43-38, and it wouldn’t get better any time soon for Tarleton.
The margin reached double figurers on a 3 by Seymore, and he struck again to push the Lion lead to 69-55 with 5:15 remaining.
Chambers’ explosion was the 11th highest scoring game by any Texan since Tarleton became a senior college in 1961. It was the first 30-point game by a Tarleton player since Tashawn Mabry poured in 31 at Eastern New Mexico in 2015.
Davis gave Tarleton a fourth double-digit scorer with 12 points. But outside Chambers, Tarleton made just 15 of 40 shots.
The Texans missed out on their first opportunity to clinch at least a share of their fifth LSC championship in the loss. The Texans won league titles in 2004, 2012, 2014 and 2015 but they will have more opportunities with two games remaining and three left for second-place UT-Permian Basin.
The loss also threatens Tarleton’s spot in the top 10 of the Division II coaches’ poll and, more importantly, at No. 1 in the South Central Region rankings.
Tarleton is looking to win its fifth LSC title after crowns in 2004, 2012, 2014 and 2015. The Texans could wrap up at least a share of the crown with a loss by UT-Permian Basin at A&M-Kingsville Saturday. UTPB edged Angelo State, 92-90, in San Angelo Thursday, cutting Tarleton’s LSC lead to 1.5 games. The Texans visit UTPB at 7:30 p.m. next Thursday, February 23.
The fist half of the loss was an ugly one for Tarleton. Well, ugly for everyone except Chambers.
The senior guard from Bossier City, Louisiana poured in 15 points in the opening half, most on hard-driving buckets in the paint. The Texans needed everyone of them with the rest of the team hitting just 6-23 in the opening 20 minutes.
TAMUC led 14-7 after seven early points from Albert, but Tarleton rallied behind Chambers’ drives and 3-pointers by Chambers and Riddick, their only ones from deep while starting 2-10 from outside the arc.
The Texans led 30-26 before the Lions closed the half on a 9-2 run for a 35-32 lead at intermission. It was tied before a right-corner 3 by De’Andre Carson – his only points of the half – with 10 seconds left.
a@m commerce drove the ball and kicked all night for Easy Shots, 17 assist night. Once Tarleton learns how to add that concept to the game, they wont be stopped. They will win it all!