LAREDO, Texas (November 19, 2016) - The Texas A&M International University Men's Basketball team closed out play in the La Posada Classic on Saturday evening. TAMIU picked up a 98-66 win after Southwestern Adventist University, moving to 5-3 overall.

Arthur Santanna powered the Dustdevils first half push on Saturday. Santanna put up 15 points, four rebounds, and three steals in 16 minutes of action. TAMIU would control play early in the first half, taking a 10 point lead in the first seven minutes of action. The Dustdevils used 12 SWAU turnovers to open a 21 point halftime lead. Jordan VanDeKop controlled the boards, picking up eight rebounds and four points. Bunja Yaboe added seven rebounds, eight points, and a block in the first 20 minutes.

The second-half saw TAMIU extend the lead to 27 before a short nine point run from the Knights. TAMIU would quickly erase the SWAU run, pushing the lead to 32 before the final buzzer sounded. TAMIU would outscore SWAU 46-35 in the final 20 minutes of action, led by Yaboe with seven points, four boards, and a block. 

VanDeKop and Yaboe each finished the night with a double-double. VanDeKop finished with 10 points and 14 rebounds. Yaboe finished the night with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Five Dustdevils finished with 10 points or more. Denzel Bellot and Kenny Hatch each recorded four assists, finishing with 12 and six points respectively. 

The Dustdevils followed their best offensive night with another high scoring affair on Saturday. TAMIU scored 30 points after forcing a turnover, using 44 points in the paint to defeat SWAU. The Dustdevil bench contributed 37 points, led by Fabian MacDonald, who finished with 12 points, two boards, two assists, and a steal. 

Head Coach Bryan Weakley commented on the win, "We played with much more energy tonight. Our defense was better because we all felt like we took a night off on Friday and didn't want it to happen again."

TAMIU will play one game on the road before returning home on December 3. The Dustdevils will take on Texas A&M Kingsville on November 22. Play is set to begin in Kingsville, Texas at 7:30pm. 

The Dustdevils can be followed all season long on GoDustdevils.com, and on social media. Follow @TAMIUAthletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat for exclusive content.