RGV Capsules: Javelinas drop double-OT thriller in playoffs

In an exciting game, the Texas A&M-Kingsville football team fell six inches short in a 57-56 double-overtime loss to visiting Tarleton State in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs on Saturday at Javelina Stadium.

The winning play came when Texans quarterback Scott Grantham ran in a two-point conversion in double overtime. Grantham rushed wide right and broke the plane of the end zone to give his team the points necessary to advance to play No. 1 Central Washington next Saturday in Ellensburg, Wash.

The game was one for the record books. The lead changed hands seven times and featured many game-changing plays, including an NCAA Division II playoff record 64-yard field goal by TSU’s Garrett Lindholm to send the game into overtime.

In the end, Grantham was not be denied, scoring on a 20-yard run in the second overtime on a play in which he broke five tackles to get into the end zone. He also passed for 296 yards and three scores in the game.

The Texans (10-2) opened the game looking like they would run away with it. They scored on their first offensive play, a 51-yard strike from Grantham to Jahmeel Hobson, forced a quick turnover and scored again to take a 14-0 lead less than seven minutes into the game.

The Javelinas (9-3) then settled down. First, Fred Winborn capped off an 80-yard scoring drive with a 1-yard plunge. Secondly, Arlen Childress forced a fumble and DeIra Glover picked it up and ran it 26 yards to tie the game at 14. Winborn then scored on a beautiful 36-yard run and finally, Glover snared a pass and returned it 40 yards for a touchdown to give the Hogs a 28-14 lead with 3:14 left in the first half.

The Texans narrowed the gap on a 23-yard run by Roderick Smith and then a 62-yard scoring pass to Hobson with 1:54 left in the half.

The Javs tacked on three more points before the end of the half when Christian Brom of McAllen drilled a 45-yard field goal.

During the third quarter, the Texans’ offense ground the Javs’ defense down. They had possession of the ball for 10:58 of the period and scored twice; first on an Evan Robertson 30-yard scamper and then on a Grantham 3-yard pass to Devin Guinn.

In between the two Texans scores, Winborn added his third touchdown of the game on a 1-yard plunge.

Heading into the fourth quarter the Javelinas led 39-36, but the Texans were driving. TSU took the lead on Smith’s 11-yard score with 8:22 left in regulation. His run capped a 14-play, 77-yard drive that ate up 6:59.

Things looked dim for the Javelinas when they were forced to punt on their next possession. However, Mardrick Johnson intercepted a Grantham pass with 4:56 on the clock.

The Javelinas drove down the field and were helped out by four Texans penalties. Billy Garza of Brownsville gave the Hogs the lead when he ran untouched into the end zone from 1-yard out with 49 seconds left.

On the ensuing kickoff, the Javelinas forced a fumble, but TSU’s Jacob Rowe recovered to maintain possession. The Texans, facing a fourth-and-18 at their own 18-yard line, escaped when Grantham scrambled around and found Arthur Buckingham for a sliding 35-yard gain, his only catch of the game with 15 seconds left.

After two incompletions, the Texans were forced to try a field goal and Lindholm drilled the 64-yarder with room to spare to send the game to extra time.

In the first overtime, Lindholm kicked a 27-yard field goal for the Texans. The Javelinas drove to the 2-yard line but were stopped on third down and decided to go for the tying field goal. Brom calmly kicked the 19-yard try.

In the second overtime, the Javelinas got the ball first and scored in five plays. Winborn bulled his way into the end zone for a career high fourth touchdown.

The Texans were facing a fourth-and-5 at the 20-yard line when Grantham performed his magic, scoring on a weaving, spinning run to set the stage for his game-winning two-point conversion.

The two teams combined for 932 yards of offense and a Javelina Stadium record 113 points.

The Javelinas were led offensively by Winborn, who capped off an outstanding season with a 223-yard, four-touchdown performance. Garza added 16 yards rushing while going 20 of 31 for 164 and two first-quarter interceptions in his final collegiate game. Garza finished his career with a school record 434 completions in just two seasons.

Senior defensive tackle Jimmy Saddler-McQueen had his best game of the season for the Hogs’ defense with eight tackles, including a half tackle for loss. Glover added seven tackles and his two touchdown returns, giving him four defensive scores on the season. Johnson and Childress each added seven tackles.

The Texans gained 530 yards of total offense, but were also penalized 19 times for 160 yards. Grantham finished 20 of 40 for 296 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He rushed for 35 yards on five carries. Robertson led the team with 131 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Hobson was the receiving star of the game with 10 catches for 188 yards and two scores.

Matt Knicky and Brandon Johnson each had interceptions for the Texans, and McNeal Uwajeh led the team with eight tackles. Neither team recorded a sack.

Lindholm finished the game with two field goals and five extra points. Brom had two field goals, six extra points and a two-point conversion.

The Javelinas finished the season with their most wins and first playoff appearance since 2004. They are now 18-5 all-time and 1-1 in the playoffs against the Texans.

-- TAMUK Services

College Basketball

Broncs fade in second half

The University of Texas-Pan American men’s basketball team that made Louisiana Tech sweat in the first half never found its way out of the locker room after halftime.

Thanks in part to a flood of first half fouls, UTPA had led for a short-period of time in the opening 20 minutes but faded in the second half of the 80-62 Tech win on Saturday at the Field House.

UTPA begins the season 0-1 and does not return home until Dec. 18 against the University of Texas-San Antonio.

The Bulldogs, who led 38-35 at halftime, came out of the break on a 7-0 run to take a 45-35 edge, and order was restored.

"I felt like we came out pumped and ready," Broncs sophomore guard Jared Maree said. "Our energy level was pretty good. I think going into the second half, it seemed like our intensity level wasn’t as good as theirs. They had more intensity."

All the things Tech struggled with in the first half seemed easy. The Bulldogs (1-0) shot 75 percent and out-rebounded the Broncs 12-6 in the second half.

Most importantly, the Bulldogs committed only seven fouls during the final 20 minutes. UTPA spent a considerable amount of time in the bonus during the first half, which contributed to Tech’s shaky early play.

By the 9:04 mark of the second half, he Bulldogs led 64-47 after a Magnum Rolle dunk.

"We felt like we had to come out in the second half and match their toughness," Bulldogs coach Kerry Rupp said. "They did a great job of coming out here and trying to out-tough us. The whole thing was about to come out here and be more intense and match whatever they are doing and up it even more."

As the deficit grew, it was obvious the spark the Broncs had in the first half was long gone and not coming back.

"There is a learning curve," Broncs coach Ryan Marks said. "One thing we did a good job of and something we still have to get better at is when the other team has a run we have to figure out specifically what are the things we want to do and, from an offensive standpoint, what players we want to go to."

The Bulldogs had four players in double-digits led by Olu Ashaolu’s 18. He also added a game-high 12 rebounds.

Maree and Luis Valera led the Broncs with 10 points each.

FREE THROWS: The Bulldogs shot 65.1 percent for the game. … Tech had nine steals to UTPA’s three. … Rio Grande Valley Vipers General Manager Gersson Rosas, who is also the NBA’s Houston’s Rockets vice president of personnel, was in attendance.

Peter Rasmussen covers UTPA athletics for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4448 or via e-mail at prasmussen@themonitor.com.

Hockey

Killer Bees cruise past Texas

Grant Goeckner-Zoeller and Daymen Rycroft notched four-point games while the power play went 3-for-9 as the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees beat the Texas Brahmas 5-2 on Saturday at the NYTEX Sports Centre.

Goeckner-Zoeller (2-2-4) scored twice in the first period to extend his scoring streak to eight games, and Sean Landolt gave RGV a 3-0 lead 48 seconds into the second period.

The Brahmas notched a power-play goal off the stick of Jason Reese at 4:34 of the second but RGV regained the three-goal lead late in the middle period. Nathan Ansell bagged his first goal of the season to make it a 4-1 game while RGV had a 5-on-3 advantage after an elbowing minor to Mike Willemsen and an elbowing major and game misconduct major Jordan Cameron.

Jesse Bennefield added a goal in the third period for RGV.

Wylie Rogers earned the win in goal with 40 saves. Along with Goeckner-Zoeller, Rycroft (0-4-4) extended his scoring streak to seven games.

RGV (6-4-1) wraps up its road trip at 4 p.m. Sunday at Laredo. The Killer Bees return home at 7 p.m. Tuesday at 7 p.m. vs. Corpus Christi.

-- Killer Bees Services