LAS VEGAS, N.M. ---Â The New Mexico Highlands men's basketball team is reaching new heights in program history after a run full of firsts to the RMAC Tournament championship.
The Cowboys are hoping to keep those historic moments going on Friday.
NMHU returns to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in nine years and is looking for their first ever NCAA Tournament win as the eighth-seeded Cowboys take on No. 4-ranked and top-seeded West Texas A&M - a team riding a 16-game winning streak and a 23-game home winning streak. It's a matchup of guard-oriented teams that force a lot of turnovers, shoot a lot of 3-pointers and will look to push the tempo.
HOW THE COWBOYS GOT HERE
NMHU went on an unprecedented run in the RMAC Tournament to win their first ever conference tournament championship. As the No. 7 seed, the Cowboys went on the road and beat No. 2 Dixie State 86-82 (ending the Trailblazers' 13-game win streak) before driving from St. George, Utah, to Golden, Colorado (home of top seed Colorado School of Mines) and defeating No. 3 Regis 87-77 in the semifinals and No. 4 Black Hills State (which upset No. 1 Mines) 79-66 in the championship game.
The Cowboys entered the tournament 0-4 against those teams during the regular season and the three RMAC Tournament wins this season equals the same number NMHU had as a program entering an RMAC Tournament that started in 1993. Also, NMHU became the lowest seed to ever win the RMAC Tournament title and just the second No. 7 seed to make the finals (Colorado Mesa in 2012 made the finals as a No. 7 seed).
Gerad Davis was named the RMAC Tournament MVP while
Desmond Carpenter,
Raquan Mitchell and
Nnamdi Okoro were named to the All-RMAC Tournament Team - becoming the first four players in NMHU history to be named to the All-RMAC Tournament Team.Â
On top of it all, the run to the tournament championship gives the Cowboys a program-best 22 wins.
The Cowboys enter Friday's contest 15th in the nation in scoring at 86.9 points per game. The NMHU press combined with the Cowboys' ability to usually limit turnovers has NMHU fourth in the nation in turnover margin at plus-5.9. NMHU also ranks in the top 30 in the NCAA in total steals (286 - 12th), turnovers forced (17.94 - 12th), 3-point attempts (872 - 14th), steals per game (20th - 9.2), 3-pointers made (321 - 20th) and 3-pointers per game (10.4 - 28th).
The Cowboys feature two of the top 55 scorers in NCAA Division II in Davis (20.7 per game - 37th) and Mitchell (19.9 - 54th). Mitchell is 16th in the nation in 3-pointers made with 97 while Davis is 17th in the nation in field goals made (231) and 24th in steals (65).
HOW THE BUFFS GOT HERE
West Texas A&M continued its hot streak through the Lonestar Conference Championship as the top seed - beating No. 8 Cameron 72-59, No. 5 Tarleton 83-74 and No. 2 Texas A&M-Commerce 57-55 in Frisco, Texas, to run its winning streak to 16 games. The Buffs' last loss came to Texas A&M Kingsville on the road on Jan. 10, 86-74.
The Buffs - who made it to the Final Four last season for the first time in program history and ended lengthy conference regular season (last was 1994) and conference tournament (last was 1998) title droughts - have won 23 in a row at home, last losing to Tarleton at home 82-74 on Jan. 18, 2018. That loss ended a 29-game home winning streak for WT as the Buffs have won 52 of their last 53 at home.
WT is going to let it fly from long range as the Buffs lead the nation in 3-point attempts (1,009) and are eighth in 3-pointers made (343). When the Buffs aren't letting it fly from beyond the arc, they are getting to the free throw line as they are second in the nation in free throw attempts (765) and fifth in free throws made (531).
Like the Cowboys, WT ranks in the top 10 in turnover margin at plus 5.4 per game.
WT has played three RMAC teams this season, beating Adams State (112-87) and CSU-Pueblo (105-71) and losing to last place Western State (77-72).
HISTORY VS. WEST TEXAS A&M
The Cowboys are 2-32 all-time against the Buffs, last playing WT on Dec. 10, 2016, - an 82-55 loss in Las Vegas, N.M. The last time the Cowboys defeated the Buffs was Nov. 25, 2008, a 90-70 victory at Wilson Complex.
