Paxton Ritchey-CSC Sports Information
KINGSVILLE, Tex. – Texas A&M-Kingsville hit a wild buzzer-beating jump shot on a broken play at the end of overtime to hand Chadron State men’s basketball a heartbreaking road loss by a final score of 73-71 in Kingsville.
The Javelinas found the game’s final bucket after Chadron State previously tied the score with both 15 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime and with 25 seconds remaining in the extra period.
The loss drops Chadron State to 1-1 after their season-opening win over Texas A&M International on Friday. Texas A&M-Kingsville is 2-0, having previously beaten South Dakota Mines before the win over the Eagles.
Jalen Thomas, a 6-foot-1 native Texan who transferred to CSC this year from Division I Tarleton State, had the best game of his young Eagles career with 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting from the field, nine rebounds and the game-tying layup in regulation.
Trey Ballard scored 15 points for the second consecutive game, matching a career-high set Friday. Ballard was 5-for-12 from the floor and 4-for-8 from three-point range, accounting for more than half of CSC’s seven three-point makes for the game.
UT-Permian Basin transfer Zy Wright also added 15 points. Like Ballard, Wright shot 5-for-12 from the field. Wright, a Georgia native, made 2 of 3 three-point attempts.
The game was remarkably close throughout in a number of areas. The teams were tied at the conclusion of the first half, 25-25, as well as the second half at 62-62. Chadron State shot 37.1 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three, while the Javelinas shot 37.5 percent from the field and 33 percent from deep.
Both teams also left plenty of points available at the charity stripe. Chadron State made 18 of 30 free-throw attempts, a 60 percent clip, while Kingsville made 18 of 28. The Eagles did shoot better at the line as the game went on, however, making all three free throw attempts in overtime.
Chadron State won the rebounding battle, 51-42, but committed 16 turnovers while the Javelinas had just 10. The teams combined for 10 lead changes and 10 ties.
Missed free throws were the story down the stretch in regulation. With four minutes to go and Kingsville holding a 60-57 lead, Wright made two of three free throws to pull the Eagles within one. Kingsville’s Jordan Henderson was fouled at the other end, but made only one of two free throws to make it 61-59.
Again, the Eagles got to the line, and Zach Smith made one of two to make it 61-60 with 3:25 to play. The score stayed there until there were just 37 seconds left, when Kingsville’s Isaiah Payne again made just one of two from the stripe to build a 62-60 lead.
Chadron State got the ball to Jalen Thomas, who missed once, but got his own rebound and scored on his second shot to tie the score at 62-62 with 15 seconds left. The Javelinas had a chance to win it at the buzzer in regulation but missed two shots on their final possession.
In overtime, Wright scored CSC’s first four points with a pair of layups, but Kingsville led 69-66 with a minute-and-a-half to go. Thomas earned a huge and-one layup and hit the free throw to complete the three-point play, tying the score at 69-69. After Kingsville retook the lead, Thomas was fouled and coolly sank two free throws to tie it at 71-71 with 25 seconds left.
On the game’s final play, Texas A&M Kingsville held for the final shot. The Javelinas intended to get the ball to Zyon Little, their leading scorer who finished with 20 points, but Little lost control of the ball on his drive to the basket. The loose ball fell perfectly to junior guard Allen Singleton, who launched a wild shot at the horn that rattled around both sides off the rim before falling through.
Chadron State will head to Kansas City next weekend for a pair of games inside the Municipal Auditorium. The Eagles will play longtime Division II power Northwest Missouri State on Thursday, November 14 before battling NAIA school Ottawa University of Kansas the following day.