DALLAS, Texas (January 24, 2018) – Texas A&M International University men's basketball held No. 22 Dallas Baptist to a season-low in points in its 62-41 loss on Wednesday night at The Burg Center in Dallas, Texas. The Dustdevils (7-13, 0-8 HC) shot 32.6% as a team while DBU (16-3, 6-2 HC) shot 46.0%.
 
Jeremy Wright led the team in scoring for the sixth time this season with 13 points going 4-of-11 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range. He also had five rebounds, five assists and four steals. Kamari Robinson reached double-figures for the third time in four games with 10 points going 4-of-4 from the free-throw line.
 
Brendan Ortiz scored the first basket of the game for the Dustdevils at 18:16 giving them a 3-2 lead as both teams struggled to find any offensive rhythm in the first five minutes. Jeremy Wright converted a three-point play the hard way tying the game at 6-all with just under 13 minutes remaining in the first half.
 
The teams would trade baskets before the Dustdevils went on a 6-0 run to take a 14-10 lead on back-to-back 3-pointers from Wright and Xabier Gomez. Gomez would get his second basket of the game at 8:33 to restore TAMIU's four-point lead, 16-12.
 
Robinson got on the scoreboard for the first time with a jumper a minute later keeping the Dustdevils ahead 18-15. The Patriots would respond with a 5-0 run over the next four minutes to take a 20-18 lead.
 
Robinson made the final basket of the half for the Dustdevils at 1:43 as they trailed 23-21 after 20 minutes. TAMIU shot 60.0% (3-of-5) from 3-point range while holding the Patriots to 16.7% from long range in the first half.
 
Wright started the second half much like he the first with a 3-pointer following a steal giving the Dustdevils a 24-23 lead. DBU would score the next four points before a Robinson jumper made it a one-point game with 17:33 remaining in the contest.
 
Ortiz's jumper at 9:04 ended a more than eight-minute scoring drought as DBU went on a 17-0 run to extended their lead to 44-28. Wright would make his third and final three of the evening a minute later cutting into the DBU lead, 50-31.
 
The Dustdevils would fight to keep the Patriot lead under 20 points as Robinson made both of his free-throws followed by a jumper by Damon Leach with a little more than six minutes remaining in regulation. The duo combined to duplicate the result two minutes later as the Dustdevils trailed 56-39 heading into the final three minutes.
 
Ortiz would connect on his final shot of the night with a minute remaining as the Dustdevils dropped a fourth straight contest to DBU, 62-41.
 
The Dustdevils return home on Saturday, Jan. 27, to host St. Edward's at 3:00 p.m.
 
PLAYER NOTES
Jeremy Wright
With his three 3-pointers tonight, Wright now has made multiple threes in three of his last four games. His four steals give him 49 for the season which is the seventh most in program history while his 69 career steals move him into the top 10 all-time.
 
Damon Leach
Leach tied a career-high with six rebounds while scoring four points for the ninth time this season. The center has scored four or more points in all eight Heartland contests.
 
Ivan Chapa
Chapa appeared in his first collegiate game on Wednesday playing one minute nearly making his only shot attempt of the game at the end of the first half following a steal.
 
Kamari Robinson
The senior forward has now gone 4-of-4 from the free-throw line in consecutive games and has made his last nine attempts. The nine straight from the charity strip is now a team-high as Brendan Ortiz sits at seven straight after not attempting a free-throw on Wednesday.