LAREDO, Texas (January 26, 2017) - The Texas A&M International University Men's Basketball team is back on the road, looking to pick up a fourth straight Heartland Conference victory on Thursday. TAMIU will take on Rogers State in Claremore, Oklahoma at 7:30pm CST.
Last Contest:
The Dustdevils (13-6 Overall/7-2 Heartland Conference) defeated Oklahoma Panhandle State 76-63 in front of home fans. The win marked the third straight Heartland Conference victory for the Dustdevils who hold sole possession of first place in the Heartland Conference.
Denzel Bellot and
Jordan VanDeKop each finished with 16 points in the win. VanDeKop added a team-high seven rebounds in the win.
Kenny Hatch finished with six points and seven assists.
Arthur Santanna ended the afternoon with 14 points and five assists.
The Competition:
The HIllcats (12-7 Overall/5-4 Heartland Conference) come into Thursday's game after a tight 46-49 loss to UAFS on January 21. Jeylen Sharpe scored a game-high 21 points for the Cats. He and Baron Smith combined to score 36 of the 46 Hillcat points. The duo finished shooting 14-of-30 from the field. Sharpe added a team-high seven rebounds.
Heartland Conference:
The Dustdevils currently hold the top spot in the Heartland Conference with a record of 7-2. Dallas Baptist holds the second spot with a 6-2 conference record. Lubbock Christian is third with a 5-3 record while Rogers State, St. Edward's, Arkansas Fort Smith, and St. Mary's take care of spots 4,5,6, and 7 posting 5-4 records. Nine of 10 Heartland Conference teams are in action tonight, the full schedule is listed below.
Heartland Conference Schedule: Thursday, January 26
| Away Team |
Home Team |
Tip-off |
| Randall |
Dallas Baptist |
7:00pm |
| Newman University |
Oklahoma Christian |
7:30pm |
| Texas A&M International |
Rogers State |
7:30pm |
| Oklahoma Panhandle State |
St. Edward's |
7:30pm |
| St. Mary's |
Arkansas Fort Smith |
7:30pm |
History:
The Dustdevils defeated the Hillcats 68-55 on December 19 in Laredo. Heading into Thursday's game, the teams have matched up 5 times, with TAMIU holding the all-time advantage 3-2.
Follow Along Live:
Thursday's game features live stats, video, and audio at the following link https://portal.stretchinternet.com/rsu/ .
Stay Tuned:
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.
