LAREDO, Texas (January 21, 2017) - The Texas A&M International University Men's Basketball team hosted OPSU on Military Appreciation Day on Saturday. The Dustdevils maintained their first place ranking in the Heartland Conference with a 76-63 win over OPSU. TAMIU improves to 13-6 overall (7-2 Heartland Conference). 

First Half:
TAMIU jumped out to an early lead on Saturday. The Dustdevils pulled ahead 16-2 in the first 4:30 of action. TAMIU would stay hot, extending the lead to 14 on four different occasions in the first 20 minutes of action. OPSU would pull within eight before the half concluded. TAMIU went into halftime holding a 43-35 lead. Denzel Bellot connected on three baskets from behind the arc, putting up a team-high 11 first half points. Kenny Hatch dished the ball around the court, picking up five first half assists, 

Second Half:
The Dustdevils continued to control play in the first six minutes of second half action, pushing their lead to 15 with 14:02 remaining in regulation. With 6:05 remaining, Hatch drained a mid-range jumper to give TAMIU a 16 point lead, the highest margin of the day. OPSU would not come within 10 points of the Dustdevils for the remainder of the game, leading TAMIU to their seventh Heartland Conference victory. Arthur Santanna put up nine points in the final 20 minutes of action, adding three assists, and two rebounds. 

Bellot and Jordan VanDeKop each finished with 16 points in the win. VanDeKop added a team-high seven rebounds in the win. Hatch finished with six points and seven assists. Santanna ended the afternoon with 14 points and five assists. 

Up Next:
The Dustdevils travel to Claremore, Oklahoma to take on Rogers State in Thursday, January 26. Tip-off is set for 7:30pm CST. 

Stay Tuned:
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