Dec. 3, 2010

Final Stats

Texas A&M International University men's basketball team had to wait a long time to play its 2010 home opener. The wait turned out to be worth it in the end, with the Dustdevils fighting their way to a 75-52 win over Johnson & Wales (Denver) on Friday night at the TAMIU Kinesiology & Convocation Building in the opening round of the La Posada Classic.

TAMIU (2-4) led from start to finish and was in control throughout but did not put the game away until late in the second half. The Dustdevil lead was as low as six points early in the second half and it stood at 64-52 with 4:26 left in regulation.

TAMIU ended the game with a 11-0 run to record its widest margin of victory since a 63-40 win over Arkansas-Fort Smith on Jan. 2, 2010.

TAMIU played a physical contest against the Wildcats, finishing with a 40-24 rebounding edge and forcing 23 turnovers. The Dustdevils were also more efficient in long-range shooting, making nine of 23 3-pointers compared to three of 18 shooting beyond the arc for JWU (3-7).

Armando Brito led the Dustdevils with 14 points, Ryan McLucas finished with 13 points and Will Faiivae chipped in 11 points and a team-high rebounds.

TAMIU will close out the La Posada Classic tomorrow night against Barclay Christian at 6 p.m. The opening game for the day with match UT-Permian Basin and Johnson & Wales. The game is slated for a 4 p.m. start.