Box Score LAREDO, Texas – Texas A&M International entered Saturday's Heartland Conference showdown with the University of Texas of the Permian Basin with a slim 1-game lead in the league standings. The back-and-forth affair and eventual 79-74 loss left the Dustdevils in a tie at the top with Arkansas-Fort Smith (18-5, 11-4 Heartland) with just three games left to play.
The Falcons (14-9, 8-7 Heartland) and Dustdevils (18-7, 11-4 Heartland) saw the lead change hands three times while it was evened seven times. In the end, the Falcons outshot the Dustdevils from the field, compiling a 54.7 percent rate as opposed to the Dustdevils 40.4 percent.
The Falcons also outscored TAMIU 42-28 in the paint and 38-25 from non-starters.
TAMIU honored its outgoing seniors at its final regular season home game at the Kinesiology and Convocation Building, and the seniors performed well. The team's six seniors combined for 49 of the team's points – led by Jordan Clark's 19 and Johnel Gray's 12.
Fellow seniors Damal Donaldson (9 points), Kevin Jefferson Jr. (6), Matthew Culliver Jr. (3) and Matthew Pritchett (3) contributed as well. Donaldson pulled in six boards and dealt an assist in 23 minutes. Jefferson made four rebounds with an assist in 34 minutes. Culliver made two rebounds with an assist and a steal, and Pritchett played seven minutes.
Junior forward Vadal Faniel, a former Heartland Conference Player of the Week, scored 10 points with a team-high seven rebounds and two assists.
Deonnte Breedlove scored eight points with a rebound, assist and steal. Jamie Farrie scored four points with three rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal.
The Dustdevils will look to reclaim their Heartland lead with a string of three consecutive road games to close the regular season, starting with a Feb. 20 showdown at St. Edward's (10-11, 6-7 Heartland) in Austin, Texas.
