The West Texas A&M Buffaloes had one last chance to pull off an upset Saturday night, but a late interception ended their comeback hopes as No. 23 UT Permian Basin escaped Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium with a 24-17 Lone Star Conference victory.

The Buffs battled the nationally ranked Falcons from start to finish, keeping the game within reach despite costly mistakes and missed opportunities. With less than two minutes remaining, WT put together one final push for the tying touchdown, but the Falcons' defense delivered when it mattered most.

It was a frustrating finish for a Buffaloes team that showed plenty of fight against one of the conference's ranked opponents.

Early Turnover Gives Falcons the Advantage

Things got off to a rocky start for WT when UT Permian Basin's McKyle So'oto intercepted a pass on the Buffaloes' opening possession.

The Falcons wasted little time turning the takeaway into points. Quarterback Nate TenBarge led a 65-yard scoring drive, connecting with Tre Brown on a 31-yard touchdown pass to give UTPB an early 7-0 lead.

But the Buffs weren't about to roll over.

WT answered later in the first quarter when Contae Cason powered his way into the end zone from two yards out, evening the score at 7-7 and giving the home crowd something to cheer about.

The Falcons regained control early in the second quarter as TenBarge showed off his legs, scoring on a four-yard touchdown run to put UTPB back in front 14-7.

That score held until halftime, leaving the Buffs within striking distance heading into the final two quarters.

Costly Penalty Hurts WT's Comeback Effort

West Texas A&M came out of the locker room looking to close the gap.

A successful replay review helped keep a third-quarter drive alive, and Alan Anaya eventually connected on a 28-yard field goal to trim the Falcons' lead to 14-10.

Momentum appeared to be shifting toward the Buffs, but one costly mistake changed the direction of the game.

WT had UTPB facing a fourth-down punt when a penalty gave the Falcons new life. Instead of getting the football back with a chance to take the lead, the Buffs watched UTPB extend its possession.

The Falcons made them pay.

Khalil Eichelberger capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run, stretching the lead to 21-10.

It was the kind of mistake that can haunt a team in a close conference matchup, especially against a nationally ranked opponent.

Porter Delivers a Fourth-Quarter Spark

Trailing by 11 points, the Buffaloes needed a big play to get back into the game.

Quarterback Knox Porter delivered.

Just two plays into the fourth quarter, Porter stood tall under pressure and dropped a beautiful 34-yard touchdown pass to Joseph White in the back of the end zone.

The score brought WT within four points at 21-17 and breathed new life into the Buffaloes' comeback hopes.

Suddenly, the Buffs were right back in the fight.

Unfortunately for WT, the Falcons answered with a lengthy possession that chewed up valuable time.

UTPB marched 71 yards on 13 plays before Diego Chavarria connected on a 22-yard field goal, pushing the lead to 24-17.

That left the Buffs needing one final touchdown to force a potential tie.

Final Drive Ends in Heartbreak

With 1:47 remaining, Porter and the Buffaloes took the field knowing they needed to go the length of the field and find the end zone.

And for a moment, it looked like they might pull it off.

Porter connected with Antoine Sullivan on a 34-yard completion over the middle, giving WT a much-needed spark and keeping the comeback hopes alive.

But three plays later, disaster struck.

UTPB's Nicholas Butler stepped in front of a Porter pass for the game-sealing interception, ending the Buffaloes' final scoring opportunity.

The Falcons walked away with the 24-17 victory, while WT was left wondering what might have been.

Buffaloes Show Fight Despite the Loss

Porter had a busy night leading the WT offense, completing 26 of 52 passes for 287 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He also added 25 net rushing yards.

Cason finished with 14 rushing yards on seven carries, including the Buffaloes' first-quarter touchdown.

J.B. Mitchell III was Porter's top target, hauling in six catches for a team-high 91 yards.

Defensively, Camden Raymond led WT with seven tackles, while Tyler Davis and Johnny Taylor III each finished with six.

The Buffaloes had their chances to make things interesting against the No. 23 Falcons, but turnovers and a costly special teams penalty proved too much to overcome.

Still, WT kept battling until the final possession, showing it could hang with a nationally ranked conference opponent.

Up Next: The Wagon Wheel Game

There won't be much time for the Buffaloes to dwell on this one.

WT heads to Portales, New Mexico, next Saturday for one of the biggest rivalry games on its schedule — the annual Wagon Wheel Game against Eastern New Mexico.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. CT at Steve Loy Family Foundation Field.

After a tough loss at home, the Buffs will have plenty of motivation to bounce back against their longtime rivals.

And if there's one way to put a heartbreaking defeat in the rearview mirror, bringing home the Wagon Wheel would certainly do the trick.