LAWTON, Okla. — For the first time in the NCAA Division II era at St. Mary's University, the Men's Basketball team has posted back-to-back 20-win seasons after winning 81-61 at Cameron on Saturday afternoon.
The Rattlers are now 20-8 overall and finished 13-7 in the Lone Star Conference, earning the league's fifth seed at the upcoming Lone Star Conference Tournament. The last teams to post 20-win years consecutively were the 1996-97 (22-6) and the 1997-98 (20-7) teams
For the second-straight game, St. Mary's used a balanced scoring attack as five scored in double digits, led by sophomore
Lawyer Jones (Waco, Texas) with 14. Seniors
Eddie McPhee (Denver, Colo.) and
Olaverr Camacho (Barberena, Santa Rosa, Guatemala) each added 12,
Wayne Wiggins (Mansfield, Texas) chipped in 11, and
Damani Claxton (Bronx, N.Y.) scored 10.
Camacho notched his sixth double-double of the season with a game-high 11 boards, as he almost single-handedly outrebounded the Aggies (7-21, 4-16), with their nine players combining for 14 rebounds. Junior
Justin Britt (Goose Creek, S.C.) narrowly missed a double-double of his own with nine points and nine boards.
The key to the Rattlers' offense was once again to get downhill and score in the paint, as the team collected a season-high 52 points in the paint, topping 50 for the fifth time this year. They also had a solid night at the free throw line, making 14-of-18 (77.8 percent).
The Aggies had a quartet score in double figures, led by Arzhonte Davis with 16 points, while Michael Jones led with six rebounds and three blocked shots. The Cameron starters were responsible for 56 of the team's 61 points and 13 of the 14 rebounds.
St. Mary's set the tone early, jumping out to a quick advantage behind efficient offense and defensive pressure. After trading baskets in the opening minutes, the Rattlers used an 8-0 run to create separation and pushed the lead to double figures midway through the first half. StMU shot 52.8 percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes and carried a 46-28 lead into the break. Camacho had 10 of his 12 points, and he tied the entire Aggies team with seven rebounds in the first half.
The Rattlers continued to control the tempo in the second half, stretching the margin to 25 with 12:19 remaining. Cameron responded with a brief run, but St. Mary's answered each surge to keep the game out of reach.
St. Mary's gets the fifth seed at the Lone Star Conference Tournament with the tiebreaker over St. Edward's. The Rattlers will face Western New Mexico for the third time this season in the quarterfinals at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 5. The two teams split during the regular season with each team winning on its home court.
