FRISCO, Texas — Despite having a balanced scoring attack and four players scoring in double figures, the St. Mary's University Men's Basketball team struggled with the defensive pressure of defending Lone Star Tournament champions Dallas Baptist University in the conference tournament semifinals, falling 82-64 on Saturday afternoon.
The Rattlers (21-9) scored 38 points in the paint, but the Patriots (26-6) capitalized on turnovers, converting them into 26 points to win the third meeting this season between the clubs.
Senior
Olaverr Camacho (Barberena, Santa Rosa, Guatemala) recorded his seventh double-double of the season with 14 points and a career-high tying 14 rebounds. Fellow senior
Damani Claxton (Bronx, N.Y.) scored 11 points despite playing only 16 minutes after leaving the game with an injury. Both senior
Sebastian Mendoza (Riverside, Calif.) and junior
Justin Britt (Goose Creek, S.C.) added 10 points.
Britt and sophomore
Lawyer Jones (Waco, Texas) led the team with three assists each and Claxton had three steals.
The first half opened with Camacho scoring on a layup, but DBU quickly countered with a 3-pointer from Trevor Frank. The teams exchanged leads multiple times, and StMU gained a brief edge when Britt's 3-pointer put them ahead 19-16. However, the Patriots surged in the closing minutes, with Junior Goodlet scoring a layup and a 3-pointer in the final moments, pushing DBU to a 48-35 halftime lead.
Bishop Jones' free throws at 19:36 set the tone for the Patriots' strong second half. Claxton answered with a layup, but DBU was able to maintain control. Camacho provided a spark for StMU with multiple offensive rebounds and a layup at 16:07, but the Patriots' consistent scoring, including Frank's three-pointer at 9:19, kept the lead secure. Despite a brief surge by the Rattlers, DBU was able to secure the win.
DBU was led in scoring by Drew Calderon with 14 points, including a 6-for-6 night at the free throw line, while Xavion Brown scored 11, grabbed eight rebounds and led the game with eight assists, and Jones added 10.
St. Mary's shot 47.2 percent from the floor for the game, but connected on only 53.3 percent from the free throw line (8-for-15), while the Patriots shot 47.4 percent for the game and hit 76 percent of their free throw attempts (19-for-25).
The Rattlers await word on whether they will advance to the NCAA Tournament with an at-large berth. The NCAA selection show will air on NCAA.com on Sunday, March 8 at 10 p.m. CT.
