CLAREMORE, Okla. (January 20, 2018) – Sophomore Brendan Ortiz was one of four Dustdevils to score in double figures as the Texas A&M International University men's basketball comeback came up short in a 68-56 loss to Rogers State on Saturday afternoon in Claremore, Okla.
 
Ortiz went 4-of-11 from the field and 3-of-7 from 3-point range for a team-high 13 points while Kamari Robinson added 12 of this own along with six rebounds. Jeremy Wright had 12 going a career-best 4-of-5 from the free-throw line dishing out seven assists. TAMIU (7-12, 0-7 HC) shot the ball much better against the Hillcats (14-5, 5-2 HC) going 45.5% from the field, 35.7% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line.
 
The Dustdevils held the Hillcats without a basket for the first four minutes jumping out a 5-0 lead courtesy of a layup from Robinson and three from Xabier Gomez. Following a 7-0 run by RSU, Gomez tied the game at 7-7 with a dunk following a steal at 12:28.
 
Robinson converted a 3-point play just out of the under-12 media timeout tying the game at 10-10. The Hillcats quickly rallied, however, going on a 10-4 run with Shea Garland scoring all four points for TAMIU.
 
The Dutsdevils responded with a 5-0 run of their own as Ortiz made his first three of the evening followed by a jumper from Robison on the next possession making it 20-19 with just over four minutes remaining in the first half.
 
Following a pair of free throws from Tavian Davis, Ortiz once again showed his hot hand from the outside tying the game at 22-22 with a minute to play in the half. RSU would score the final five points of the half as TAMIU tailed 27-22 at halftime.
 
Robinson continued to impose his will in the post converting his second 3-point play of the game on the first possession of the second half making it a two-point game, 27-25. The Hillcats stretched the lead out to seven before the relentless Dustdevils clawed their way back into the game with a 5-0 run stretching over four minutes making it 34-33 with 14:18 remaining in the game.
 
RSU regained momentum countering with a 5-0 run to stretch the lead back to six before Wright and Gomez went 1-of-2 from the charity stripe. The Dustdevils fouled the Hillcats on back-to-back positions as the lead reached eight with 10 minutes remaining.
 
Free throws from Robinson and Ortiz and a layup from Wright sparked a 6-0 run cutting the Hillcats' lead to two, 43-41. A Baron Smith Jr. layup ended the TAMIU run but Ortiz hit his third and final three of the evening on the next possession making it a one-point game, 45-44, with 8:13 remaining.
 
RSU's Smith Jr. went on a personal 5-0 run to stretch the lead back to six before Wright converted both of his free throws making it 50-46. The Dustdevils weren't able to get stops on the defensive side of the ball as RSU went on a 7-2 run making it 57-48.
 
Wright and Ortiz both scored on layups in the closing minutes making it 65-56, but it wasn't enough as the Hillcats picked up a 68-56 win.
 
The Dustdevils finish their three-game road trip against nationally-ranked Dallas Baptist on Wednesday, Jan. 24. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
 
PLAYER NOTES
Jeremy Wright
Wright has now reached double figures in scoring in three of his last four games after not reaching the plateau in the previous seven games. His seven assists give him 136 for his career moving him into 8^th all-time ahead of Kevin Jefferson Jr.  
 
Brendan Ortiz
Ortiz has now led the Dustdevils in scoring in four games following his 13-point performance against the Hillcats. He has now made two of more 3-pointers in four straight games for the first time in his career. He has now made seven-straight free throws after going 2-of-2 from the charity stripe.