Box Score Feb. 27, 2010
Box Score
Lamar outscored UTSA 16-8 over the final 2:52 but fell just short in a 76-74 loss at the Montagne Center Saturday night.
Trailing 68-58 with 3:03 to play, the Cardinals mounted a furious rally and pulled to within one on three occasions, but saw the Roadrunners make two free throws each time. Lamar's best opportunity to tie the game came with approximately 20 seconds left but Justin Nabors' shot in traffic in the lane rimmed out.
Omar Johnson made one of two free throws to put UTSA ahead 72-69 with 15 seconds remaining. The Roadrunners then fouled Anthony Miles before he could get a shot off, forcing him to make a pair of freebies and put the score at 72-71 with 10.3 showing. Morris Smith then made two foul shots at the UTSA end and again Miles was fouled, this time with 2.4 tics left.
He made the first and missed the second intentionally but Devin Gibson got the board just in front of Miles, and made both shots with one second on the clock to ice the game.
Lamar (14-16, 5-9 SLC) remained in a tie for eighth place with Northwestern State, Nicholls and McNeese State entering next week's final two games. The Cardinals can still secure one of the two remaining spots in the conference tournament with two victories or a split with A&M-Corpus Christi and at Nicholls depending on various scenarios regarding the three other teams deadlocked with Big Red. Two losses would leave them out of the field for the second-straight season.
Nabors led all players on Saturday with 25 points with a team-high eight rebounds. Miles finished with 11 points and five assists. Reggie Mathis was the other Cardinal in double-figures, adding 10 points, six boards and four assists in his second-consecutive start.
The Cardinals shot 47 percent and had just nine turnovers, but again were hindered at the charity stripe with nine misses.
UTSA (18-9, 8-6) shot a season-best 60 percent and held a 32-28 rebounding edge. Morris Smith IV totaled 21 points while Johnson had 17 points and eight rebounds.
The game had five ties and four lead changes. Lamar held it largest lead of the game at 8-4 following two free throw from Miles and back-to-back baskets by Nabors. UTSA led by 11 at the half, 38-27, and matched that margin with 7:43 to play in the game.
Lamar will play its final home game on Wednesday against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Tip-off is set for 7:05 p.m. and the team's senior class of Ashton Hall, Nabors and Lawrence Nwevo will be honored.
