Tarleton State keeps Ags winless in LSC
GAME BOXSCORE»
STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Feb. 5) - Tarleton State never trailed, but had to hold off a solid effort by the Cameron men's basketball team Saturday at TSU's Wisdom Gym.
The Texans, ranked eighth in the NCAA II South Central region, won 58-51 to hand the Aggies their sixth straight loss in Lone Star Conference play. The loss dropped Coach Garrette Mantle's squad to 12-9 overall and 0-6 in LSC North Division play.
Cameron will try to end its conference drought on Thursday, hosting East Central University to begin the second round of league play.
Tarleton State led by as many as 12 in the second half Saturday, but counldn't shake the pesky Aggies. Marcus Girtmon's three-pointer with just over a minute to play pulled the Aggies within five at 54-49, but the Texans converted four free throw attempts over the final minute to hold on for the win.
Girtmon finished the game 5-of-7 from the floor and was one of three Aggie players in double figures with 11 points. Mike Wallace also had 11, while Eric Moore led the team with 15 points. Tarleton State (15-6, 4-2 LSC North) got a game-high 19 points from forward David Stephens.
Tarleton State overcame cold shooting from the outside to forge a 25-20 halftime lead. The Texans were just 1-of-12 from three-point range at the break and shot just 10-of-30 overall before intermission. But the Aggies couldn't take advantage, shooting just 34.8 percent from the floor and converting just eight field goal attempts in the opening period.
Cameron got within three on a pair of free throws by Wallace with 18:20 left in the second half before Tarleton State launched a 16-7 run to build a 41-29 cushion with 13:55 to play. The Aggies responded with a 6-0 burst capped by a steal and layup by Girtmon and kept the Texan lead in single digits the rest of the way.
The Aggies got within five on two other occasions late in the second half before Girtmon's three-pointer with 64 seconds remaining. But the Texans finished 15-of-17 from the charity stripe, including 12-of-13 in the second half, to keep the Aggies winless since a 67-57 victory over Angelo State on Jan. 15.
