Box Score Fort Smith, Ark. – The distance between first place and the field in the Heartland Conference grew with a 27-point emphasis on Thursday night when Texas A&M International dissected the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, 72-45. The league-leading Dustdevils (16-4, 12-2 Heartland Conference) stretched their lead over second-place St. Mary's (14-6, 9-5 Heartland) to three games with just six games remaining in the regular season.
The Dustdevils allowed the Lions (6-15, 6-9 Heartland) to leap to a quick 4-0 lead, but the Dustdevils seized the lead and didn't relinquish it throughout. TAMIU fired an accurate 47.3 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from long range while holding UAFS to 26.8 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively.
Leading the attack was Dustdevils senior guard Tina Dang, who hung a season-high 25 points in 26 minutes off the bench at the Stubblefield Center. She also three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Malika Jackson scored 14 points and pulled in a rebound with three assists and two steals. Two-time Heartland Conference Player of the Week Samantha Chacon scored 11 points on 3-for-4 (75 percent) shooting from the 3-point arc while snagging seven boards with four assists, a block and two steals.
Alexis Thomas shot 100 percent (2-for-2) from the field and 5-for-6 from the free throw line to finish with nine points, two assists and seven rebounds. Jessica Prieto scored eight points to accompany her four rebounds, five assists, three blocks and one steal.
Jessica Woo came off the bench to snatch a team-high eight rebounds although she scored only two points in 17 minutes.
Bezait Anbesse also scored two points in just one minute on the floor, while Samone Davis scored one point and had an assist in two minutes of action. Neither Mason Hawk nor Re'Nikia Meshack scored a point, but the two combined for five boards, five assists and three steals.
The Dustdevils will next face Rogers State (8-14, 5-11 Heartland) in Claremore, Okla., on Feb. 8 at 1 p.m. before returning to the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building on Feb. 13 to host Lubbock Christian at 5:30 p.m.
