Box Score DALLAS, Texas – With nine games remaining in the regular season – and only six at home – for Texas A&M International, each win tightens its grip on the Heartland Conference crown. That was precisely the case on Saturday, as the Dustdevils (15-4, 8-1 Heartland) led by as many as 24 points in their 90-71 disarming of Dallas Baptist (6-10, 3-6 Heartland) at the Burg Center.
TAMIU maintained its 1-game pace atop the conference's standings, while second place is now occupied alone by Arkansas-Fort Smith (14-3, 7-2 Heartland). St. Mary's and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin are both tied for the final two postseason tournament seeds with 6-3 league records. Only the conference's top four teams qualify for the Heartland tournament in March.
Saturday's cast of shooting stars featured a fresh combination of starters and off-the-bench contributors, while some of the regular team leaders played decreased roles against the Patriots.
Senior guard Kevin Jefferson Jr. came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points and deal a game-high six assists. He also snatched four defensive rebounds and completed a steal in 27 minutes – the third-highest time total for the Dustdevils. His points total falls just one shy of his season high of 17 against Lubbock Christian on Jan. 4.
A trio of big men contributed with the next highest totals for TAMIU: senior center Damal Donaldson scored 15, junior forward Vadal Faniel scored 12 and senior forward Jordan Clark hung 12 points on DBU.
Donaldson muscled in a team-high five rebounds while also burglarizing the Patriots offense with a game-high three steals. He also went 5-for-8 (62.5 percent) from the field and 5-for-6 (83.3) from the free throw line in 29 minutes.
Faniel, a former Heartland Conference Player of the Week, started and pulled in four rebounds while shooting 5-for-6 (83.3) from the field and a perfect 2-for-2 from the line.
The high-flying Clark had two rebounds and two steals while shooting 100 (4-for-4) percent from the free throw line.
Senior guards Matthew Culliver Jr. and Johnel Gray scored 11 and eight points, respectively, while both started the game. Gray had been on a net-ripping tear over the Dustdevils' previous five games – scoring a combined 98 points entering Saturday. Culliver grabbed a game-high five rebounds and a game-high blocked shots total against the Patriots.
Gray played the fourth fewest minutes (24) of his season, while still pulling in three boards and dishing three assists while shooting a sharp 6-for-6 from the free throw line.
In a game that saw every Dustdevil hit shots to land on the stat sheet, William Wise scored six, Jamie Farrie scored five, Deonnte Breedlove scored three and Matthew Pritchett scored two. Those four substitutes combined for five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal.
The first place Dustdevils will return to the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building on Jan. 30 to host Oklahoma Panhandle State (1-15, 1-6 Heartland) at 7:30 p.m. The TAMIU women will host OPSU's women prior to the men's game, at 5:30 p.m.
The evening will serve as Greek Night at the KCB as TAMIU Greek Council will host a Pregame Fiesta featuring activities, music and free hot dogs starting at 4:30 p.m.
