Feb. 23, 2008

Box Score

CANYON, Texas - Senior guard Pierre Barlow scored a career-high 16 points as the Buffs prevailed in a match-up between the top two teams in the Lone Star Conference South Standings, defeating No. 12 Tarleton State, 64-58, in front of 3,123 WT supporters at the First United Bank Center.

The win improves the Buffs' overall record this season to 21-6 and 10-1 in LSC South action, putting them in the driver's seat for the division's regular season crown with only one contest remaining. Tarleton Sate, meanwhile, falls to 21-4 and 8-2 in league play.

This season of 20 or more wins marks the 22nd overall in Buff basketball history and seventh under head coach Rick Cooper.

Barlow got going early, giving the Buffs a 8-6 advantage with 15:00 to play in the first period by draining a three-pointer, and Keon Grant followed suit as he gave the Buffs a 11-6 lead by making a long distance shot of his own off of a fast break led by point guard Kyle Shields.

The pair of long distance baskets was part of a 16-4 run by the Buffs that left them with a 19-10 advantage on a slam by Robert Lee at the 11:34 mark.

The Texans held strong after the Buff run and put together a 9-0 spurt of their own to knot the game at 19-19 on a pair of free throw shots by Dan Eichel at the 7:08 mark. Jefferey Henfield was finally able to recapture the lead for the visitors as he put TSU up by two with 2:31 to play on a jumper.

TSU got a pair of free throws from Limar Wilson with just seven seconds remaining to carry a 28-25 advantage into the break.

Junior Jeff Davis, who was strong off the WT bench, pulled the Buffs to within a bucket at 44-42 as he entered the game at 10:08 and followed a running jumper with a pair of free throws with 9:51 to play.

After a TSU turnover, Barlow put the Buffs in front 45-44 with his first points of the second half on a three-pointer at the 9:11 mark.

Henfield quickly put the Texans back in front with a jump shot in the lane, but a free throw by Chris Hinz on the other end knotted the game again, this time at 46-46.

Robert Lee's running lay-up with 7:06 to play put WT back up by two at 48-46 and two possessions later, Barlow extended the lead to 50-46 as he converted on a fade-away from just inside the three-point arc as the final seconds dwindled off the shot clock.

Barlow put the Buffs up by six at the 5:43 mark during the next trip down the court as he made both free throws after drawing a foul while driving to the basket. The run stretched to 16-3 after Lee hit a running lay-up with 4:58 to play, leaving the score 54-47.

The Texans cut the lead to just two with back-to-back baskets, but WT's Lee took advantage of a fast break and gave the Buffs a two-score lead, 56-52, with 4:15 to play.

With the Buffs clinging to a 57-54 lead and under a minute to play, Shields provided one of his biggest plays of the game, not on offense, but on the defensive end where he drew a charge to give the ball back to WT.

A Tyler Cooper free throw made it a two-possession game, 58-54 with 48 seconds to play and on the next rush, TSU's Wilson made one of two free throws to again cut the Buffs' lead to three, 58-55.

The free throw contest continued as WT's Lee was fouled and made both of his chances from the charity stripe to put the Buffs up 60-55 with just 27 seconds left on the clock.

A Texan turnover gave the ball back to the Buffs and a quick TSU foul sent Shields to the line. The Amarillo native converted both of his chances to extend the lead to seven points.

TSU's Marlin Cloudy gave the Texans hope as he made a three-point basket to pull the game closer at 62-58, but Barlow made it official as he sank a pair of free throws to give the game its final score of 64-58.

The Buffs close out their regular season schedule next Wednesday when they welcome the Wildcats of Abilene Christian to the First United Bank Center for an 8 p.m. contest.