LAREDO, Texas (January 5, 2017) - The Texas A&M International University Men's Basketball team opens a three-game road trip that spans two weeks on Thursday night. The Dustdevils will take on Oklahoma Christian in Oklahoma City Thursday night at 7:30pm CST. 

Last Contest:
The Dustdevils (9-5 Overall/3-1 Heartland Conference) maintained their spot atop the Heartland Conference with a thrilling 67-64 win over Lubbock Christian on January 2. Bunja Yaboe led the Dustdevils with his second straight game with more than 25 points. Yaboe finished the night with 27 points, eight rebounds, two blocks, and a pair of steals. Jordan VanDeKop finished the night with 12 points and six rebounds. Arthur Santanna would finish with 11 points and three rebounds. Denzel Bellot added a team-high seven assists. The Dustdevil defense is currently ranked first in the conference, holding opponents to 66.4 points per game. 

The Competition:
The Eagles (6-5 Overall/1-2 Heartland Conference) were dealt a tough loss against St. Edward's in their previous matchup. The Eagles dropped the game 76-77 on a late three-point shot. The Eagles were led by Kellan Horton who finished with 23 points. Elijah Strickland added 16 points and five rebounds for the Eagles. Horton was named the Heartland Conference Player of the Week. Oklahoma Christian currently sits third in the conference, averaging 81.3 points per game. 

Heartland Conference:
The Heartland Conference Men's Basketball race is tight again in the 2016-17 season. TAMIU currently shares the number one spot with Arkansas Fort Smith and Newman who both hold 3-1 records. St. Edward's sits at 2-1. 

History:
The Dustdevils and Eagles split their matchups in the 2015-16 season with each team winning away from home. TAMIU defeated OC in Oklahoma City 74-53 while OC defeated TAMIU in Laredo 61-60. The teams have matched up five times with TAMIU holding the all-time series lead 4-1. 

Follow Along Live:
Thursday's game can be live streamed at http://www.oceaglemedia.org/live. You can listen live at http://oceaglemedia.org/radio/listen. You can also follow the live stats feed here http://www.sidearmstats.com/oklahomac/mbball/. 

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.