H.R. No. 1784
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, The West Texas A&M University men's basketball
program achieved a new level of success during the 2020-2021
season, as the Buffs advanced all the way to the NCAA Division II
national championship game; and
WHEREAS, WT compiled a 12-2 record in the regular season and
then cruised to three straight double-digit victories in the Lone
Star Conference tournament to capture the league title and clinch a
berth in the Division II NCAA tournament; and
WHEREAS, After defeating Dallas Baptist University and
Lubbock Christian University, WT bested Daemen College to earn a
trip to the Final Four in Evansville, Indiana; squaring off against
Lincoln Memorial University on March 25, WT was down by nine points
at the break but rallied in the second half to turn the game into a
nip-and-tuck battle; trailing by two points with 13 seconds
remaining, the Buffs missed a shot that would have tied the game,
but guard Zach Toussaint corralled the rebound beyond the arc and
threw up a last-second three-point attempt; the buzzer sounded with
the ball in the air, and when it fell through the net, WT claimed a
thrilling 87-86 triumph; moving on to the title game against
Northwest Missouri State University, the Buffs gave their all but
saw their season come to an end just one win short of the national
championship; and
WHEREAS, Excelling with a true team effort, the Buffs
received valuable contributions throughout the year from each
member of the roster: John Brown, Qua Grant, JT Warren, Jon'il
Fugett, Torian Harris, Parker Nielsen, Kavon Booker, Joel Murray,
Mr. Toussaint, Ugo Obineke, Calvin Fugett Jr., Hayden Blankley, and
Cameron Bell; these dedicated athletes were guided by head coach
Tom Brown, associate head coaches Chris Gove and Quincy Henderson,
and student assistant Ty Bryant, and the players also received
support from athletic trainer Devin Neill, assistant athletic
performance coach Matt Segura, and student manager Derrick
Gahimbare; and
WHEREAS, With their exceptional skill and unwavering
commitment to excellence, the West Texas A&M University Buffs have
earned a place among the top Division II basketball teams in the
country, and their achievements are a source of great pride for the
university's students, alumni, and fans; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate the West Texas A&M University men's
basketball team on advancing to the 2021 NCAA Division II
championship game and extend to the team's players, coaches, and
staff sincere best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for the Buffs as an expression of high regard by the Texas
House of Representatives.
Smithee
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1784 was adopted by the House on May
29, 2021, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House