Hogs get big win; ready for road trip By Jaime Gonzalez |
 Keiona E. Ausbie / The South Texan Clyde Johnson dunks in two of his seven points in the Javelinas victory over the Abilene Christian Wildcats. |
Now that they have snapped a brief two-game losing streak, the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas hope to carry their momentum off a big win against the Abilene Christian Wildcats this past weekend on their road trip this week.
After dropping a close game to the West Texas A&M Buffaloes on Wednesday, the Javelinas regrouped to defeat the Wildcats, 91- 75, in a game the Hogs controlled from the opening tip.
“We needed a win and came out here with a lot more intensity than we did against West Texas,” head coach Pete Peterson said. “We just fought. When your back is against the wall, you have two things you can do. You can lay down and die or you can fight.”
The Javelinas are now 3-2 in Lone Star Conference South Division games and are 14-6 overall.
The next two games will be critical for A&M-Kingsville’s chances to get into the LSC tournament.
The Javelinas were in a threeway tie with Abilene Christian and the Angelo State Rams for third place in the LSC South Division.
Now they have defeated the Wildcats and hope to do the same to the Rams Wednesday night in San Angelo.
A&M-Kingsville will have to overcome their rebounding weakness for the match up with the Rams.
Angelo State ranks in the top four spots of the LSC in both offensive and defensive rebounds per game while the Javelinas rank in the bottom three in the same categories.
The game will also be a match up of the conference’s top two point guards.
The Ram’s Jerod Haynes leads the LSC in assists with 6.69 per game while the Hog’s Wendell Mulkey is a close second averaging 6.17 assists per game.
The Hogs will then meet with the Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds Saturday in Portales, N.M. Eastern New Mexico is currently in last place in the LSC South.
“We’re in a spot where we have to go on the road and win,” Peterson said. “We have to win every game. We’re a good road team.”
Three weeks ago, A&MKingsville defeated the Greyhounds, 74-65. Stephen Story’s 15 points led five Javelinas in doublefigures.
The Hogs went 7-for-12 from beyond the three-point arc in downing Eastern New Mexico.