TULSA, Oklahoma (March 2, 2017) - The Texas A&M International University Men's Basketball team opened play in the 2017 Heartland Conference Championship Tournament on Thursday. The Dustdevils were dealt a 60-63 loss in the quarterfinal round to St. Mary's. 

First Half:
TAMIU opened a six point lead in the first five minutes of play on Thursday. The teams would match one another over the next ten minutes of action, leading to a 22-22 tie with seven minutes remaining. The Dustdevils found an offensive spark in the final five minutes of first half play, opening an eight point lead over the Rattlers. After 20 minutes of play, TAMIU led 35-27. 

Denzel Bellot paced the Dustdevils offensively, picking up 10 first half points. Deveino McRae controlled the boards, pulling in five rebounds in the first 20 minutes of action. 

Second Half:
The Dustdevils came out of the break strong, pushing their halftime lead to 13 in the first two minutes of play. The Rattlers would come back to take their first lead in over 15 minutes with just over 11 minutes remaining in regulation. TAMIU would come back to take a four point advantage with 6:09 remaining before STMU would open a four point lead of their own with :14 left in regulation. A last second heave from Bunja Yaboe would not find the bottom of the net, leading to the 60-63 final score. 

Kenny Hatch finished the night with 15 points and four assists. Bellot finished with 14 points, three assists, and five rebounds. Yaboe hauled in seven rebounds in the loss. 

Coaches Corner:
Head Coach Bryan Weakley commented after the game, "It's hard to beat a team three times. We controlled the game for 30 minutes but the in the last 10 minutes, we stopped making plays on offense and allowed St. Mary's to control the offensive glass. Overall I am proud of what this team accomplished this season. They are all champions and we have some fantastic memories."

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