(Interstat) — In a thrilling finish that defied statistical projections, the Western Texas Westerners edged the Mineral Area Cardinals 75-74 in a men’s junior college basketball game on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025.

The game, played at Western Texas’s home court, was a stark contrast to the high-scoring affair predicted by simulators. Interstat’s game simulator had projected a 100-100 final, while its ELO system gave Mineral Area a 56 percent probability to win. Instead, the contest was defined by defensive pressure, turnovers and clutch free throws down the stretch.

The most critical sequence occurred in the final 13 seconds. With the game tied at 73, Mineral Area’s Nassir Binion was fouled on a jump shot and completed a three-point play to give the Cardinals a one-point lead. On the ensuing possession, Western Texas guard Zayier Dean drew a foul and calmly sank two free throws with six seconds remaining to put the Westerners back ahead 75-74. Mineral Area’s final attempt, a 3-pointer by Carl Claxton as time expired, was successful, but the officials ruled it came after the buzzer, sealing the Western Texas victory.

The back-and-forth nature of the final moments capped a game where neither team could establish a commanding lead. Mineral Area built its offense around Binion, who led all scorers with 20 points and added nine rebounds. Support came from Ramello Smith with 10 points and Edwon Duling Jr. with nine. The Cardinals’ defense was active, generating numerous steals, with Smith and Duling each recording multiple takeaways.

Western Texas countered with a more balanced scoring attack. Justin McCall led the Westerners with 22 points in just 23 minutes, including several key 3-pointers. Isak Homelius added 20 points and was perfect on eight free-throw attempts, with six of those makes coming in the tense final two minutes of the game. Zayier Dean contributed 14 points, with his last two at the line proving decisive. Calven Charles anchored the interior with 10 rebounds.

The win improved Western Texas’s season record to 5-5 across all competitions, while Mineral Area fell to 6-5. The Cardinals entered the game having lost two straight, including a 10-point defeat to Midland just one day earlier. Western Texas was coming off a narrow two-point victory over Temple.

Both teams face quick turnarounds. Western Texas travels to face Weatherford on Tuesday, Dec. 9, in a rematch of a game Weatherford won 82-70 on Nov. 18. Mineral Area’s next contest is at home against Indian Hills on Saturday, Dec. 13.