Nov. 12, 2011
Final Stats
LAREDO, Texas - Despite an impressive second half comeback, the Texas A&M International University Men's Basketball team came up just short losing to Texas A&M-Kingsville 67-63 on day two of the Heartland/Lone Star Crossover Challenge.
TAMIU was paced by senior Evan Matteson who recorded 16 points and five rebounds. Junior guard Tyree Murray kicked in 12 points and two assists, while teammate Brian Schaeffer had ten points and six rebounds. The home team also got a big effort from their reserves, who outscored A&M Kingsville's bench players 28-12. The Dustdevils shot 46% from the field and 35% from three-point range.
TAMIU seemed out-of-sorts from the opening tip, forcing passes and turning the ball over seven times in the opening half. Javelinas forward Robert Williams pounded the Dustdevils inside, collecting 15 points in the first 20 minutes on 6-of-10 shooting. Williams would finish with game high 26 points. Kingsville never trailed in the first half and jumped out to a 39-26 lead at the break.
The second half started exactly like the first, with more bad decisions and impatient play, allowing Kingsville to extend their lead to 25 points. Coach Rinner changed things up on defense going with full court pressure, which completely shifted the momentum of the game.
The Dustdevils began to cause chaos in the Javelinas backcourt, forcing turnovers and chipping away at the lead by knocking down high percentage shots. With 4:42 remaining in regulation Armando Brito hit a three-pointer to cut the lead down to three points. After a Javelina free-throw, Matteson hit a clutch jumper from the top of the key, trimming the lead to two with 4:11 remaining.
With TAMIU on the verge of their first lead of the night, a few untimely fouls put Kingsville in the double-bonus. The Javelinas were able to sink their free throws, never giving the Dustdevils the opportunity to complete their comeback.
The Dustdevils start the season 1-1 with a rematch versus A&M Kingsville looming on Tuesday night at 7p.m. in Kingsville.
