CHADRON, Nebraska (November 10, 2017) - The Texas A&M International University Women's Basketball team opened the 2017-18 Regular Season in Nebraska on Friday night. The Dustdevils opened the season with a game against Chadron State College. The Dustdevils fell 56-63. 

The Dustdevils begin the season in Head Coach Jeff Caha's second year at the helm. 

AFTER 1: Dustdevils 13 - Eagles 9
The Dustdevils opened the game strong, taking an early 9-5 advantage. The Eagles would tie the game at nine but the Dustdevils would control the final four minutes of action in the first. TAMIU put up the only points by either side in the final four minutes, taking a 13-9 advantage into the second quarter.

AFTER 2: Dustdevils 26 - Eagles 22
TAMIU would hold the offensive pace in the second quarter, putting up 13 for the second straight quarter. Head Coach Jeff Caha commented, "We came out strong, we were putting up good shots and controlling the game through the first 20." The Eagles would rebound offensively in the second quarter, matching the Dustdevil's 13 second-quarter points. 

After 20 minutes of action, the Dustdevils would take a 26-22 lead into the locker room. Junior, Tantashea Giger led all scorers through the first 20 minutes, putting up nine points. Veshae Asaua-Wilkinson picked up a team-high five rebounds in the first half for the Dustdevils. Jaden Gonzales and Ashley Perez each picked up five points. TAMIU led in all offensive categories through 20 minutes, outshooting the Eagles 34.6% to 30%, while sinking four three-point baskets. 

AFTER 3: Dustdevils 34 - Eagles 37
Chadron would come out of the break with a new offensive pace, putting up 15 points in the third quarter. The Dustdevils pushed their lead to six halfway through the third before an 11-4 Eagle run gave CSC the 37-34 advantage after 30 minutes. Caha commented, "We started to give up the ball on chances we could have scored in the second half. We allowed too many offensive rebounds and turnovers that allowed Chadron back into the game."

AFTER 4: Dustdevils 56 - Eagles 63
The fourth quarter saw the highest offensive output of the night for both sides. Chadron pushed their lead to as much as 12 through six minutes of fourth quarter action before the Dustdevils clawed back into the game. The Dustdevils would cut the Eagle lead to five with :42 left in regulation but would not be able to come all the way back. Caha added, "We started scoring more efficiently in the fourth but our turnovers and missed chances made it difficult to complete the comeback." 

FINAL STATS:
Giger led all scorers with 21 points on 18 shots. Giger would sink five three's and go 2-4 from the line. She finished as one of six Dustdevils with four rebounds. Jaden Gonzales put up 13 points in the loss, making three baskets from behind the arc, adding four rebounds. Asua-Wilkinson would finish the night with a team-high six rebounds. 

COACH CAHA'S THOUGHTS AFTER GAME 1:
"We clawed back in the second half but the missed opportunities hurt us in the second half. We need to break the habit of turning the ball over and allowing easy rebounds for our opponents. Tantashea had a good night with 21 and Jaden picked up 13 but we need to score more efficiently to be able to win games. We have a tough test in Black Hills State tomorrow night so scoring more efficiently and eliminating easy mistakes will be key."

UP NEXT:
The Dustdevils play again on Saturday, continuing the Conference Challenge in the nations northern half. TAMIU will face off with Black Hills State in Spearfish, South Dakota. Tip-off is set for 7:00pm CST/6:00pm MT

STAY TUNED:
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