LAWTON, Okla. – Senior Dylan Gilliam could not have asked for a better welcome back party as the Aggies topped the visiting Rams of Angelo State 79-71 in his first game in nearly two years Thursday night in Aggie Gym.
The 5-foot-11 guard came off the bench early in the first period for Head Coach Wade Alexander’s squad and used his quickness to provide an immediate offensive spark. He finished the game with 16 points and was a perfect 8-of-8 from the charity stripe.
“He’s been out almost two years and to come back the way he did – to play in his condition – speaks volumes about the kid,” said Alexander. Gilliam played the game with tape over two fingers that were missing fingernails. “He was able to come in and add another element to our already unselfish offense.”
The Aggies had four players, including Gilliam, score in double-digits with Lawton native Thomas Razor and Gilliam both posted a team-high 16 each. Sophomore Vinicius Telo added 10 while another homegrown product, Milton Garner, add 15.
“Our players are very unselfish and only get down on themselves when they think they played poorly,” added Alexander. “[Nathan] Murray will get down on himself not because he only scored three points, but because he knows he can play better.”
Murray’s late game acrobatic dunk and subsequent free throw shot were, as Alexander put it, “probably the three most important points of the game.”
The back-and-forth game saw the home squad trail by as many as seven in the first half before going into the break up by the same margin.
A pair of threes from Garner kept the Aggie lead at 12 early in the second and far enough apart from the Rams to secure the victory.
The Aggies return to the court on Saturday when they play host to Abilene Christian in their final game before Lone Star Conference North Division play begins. Tip off is schedule for 4 p.m.
Fans will have another opportunity to enter a raffle for a signed basketball featuring the signatures of the team members of the 2010 NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Champion Duke Blue Devils squad and Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
