Lead Slips Away Late for Men's Basketball in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — With 4.6 seconds remaining, Western Washington drained a pair of free throws to take the final lead over St. Mary's University Men's Basketball at the D2 Holiday Hoops Classic and escape with the 70-68 win.
 
The Rattlers (6-4) led for most of the game, 28:29 of the 40 minutes, but the Vikings (8-4) managed a comeback every time they built a lead, and the shot at the buzzer by junior Damani Claxton (Bronx, N.Y.) was a bit wide.
 
Claxton ended the game with 13 points, tying for team-high honors with junior Malcolm Steadman (Union City, Calif.), who scored in double figures for the first time in the Gold & Blue. Steadman did most of his damage at the free throw line, making all six attempts.
 
Lachlan Bofinger (Sydney, Australia) narrowly missed a triple-double, recording 11 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high eight assists, while junior Eddie McPhee (Denver, Colo.) was one off his career-high with 12 points, and he led the team with three steals.
 
For the second game in the tournament, the Rattlers did a good job of sharing the basketball, recording 20 assists on 27 made baskets, and the team scored 46 of its 68 points in the paint.
 
As they've done all year, the Rattlers crashed the boards hard, outrebounding the Vikings 41-to-34, and they grabbed 19 on the offensive glass, recording double digits in all 10 games. All 10 players recorded at least one rebound, and nine of the 10 scored at least two points.
 
Grant Kepley led WWU in scoring with a game-high 17 points and Trevor White led with seven rebounds. Tijan Saine had a team-high five assists and added 14 points in the win for the Vikings.
 
The Rattlers wrap up the non-conference slate with a 3-3 record. The team returns to Lone Star Conference play on Jan. 3, hosting Texas A&M-Kingsville at 7:30 p.m. The Javelinas are 6-5 overall and 2-3 in league play.