Box Score LAREDO, Texas – Just five days after suffering its toughest loss of their season, Texas A&M International rebounded with a Heartland Conference victory to maintain control of their destiny for the top seed in the league. The Dustdevils downed McMurry, 54-50, on Thursday at the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building to improve to 7-1 in conference and 11-3 overall.
TAMIU is tied atop the Heartland with St. Mary's (7-1) St. Edward's (5-1), with all three holding the same mark in the loss column. The Dustdevils will host St. Edward's on Saturday at 1 p.m. Lubbock Christian (7-0 Heartland) holds the best record, but is ineligible for any postseason honor and for a Heartland regular season championship because of their provisional status in the league.
On Thursday, the Dustdevils placed four players on the score sheet with double-digit point totals: Jessica Woo (13 points), Mason Hawk (11), Jessica Prieto (10) and Samantha Chacon (10).
Woo came off the bench to shoot 5-for-10 (50 percent) from the field while also pulling in four rebounds and committing a steal in 20 minutes. She was also one of three Dustdevils to shoot a perfect 2-for-2 from the free throw line.
Hawk and Prieto both started and shot a combined 7-for-18 from the field. Hawk had three rebounds, a block and a steal in 29 minutes. Prieto played 39 minutes, snatching eight rebounds while adding five assists and a steal.
Chacon grabbed three rebounds and added a pair of blocks and assists.
Senior forward Malika Jackson scored eight points and had eight rebounds, adding six assists and two steals.
Alexis Thomas played 31 minutes after starting the game, scoring two points while pulling in a monstrous game-high 11 rebounds.
The Dustdevils will next face a first-place duel against the Hilltoppers at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
