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LAREDO, TEXAS (January 3, 2018) – Fresh off a successful trip to California, the Texas A&M International men's basketball team return to Heartland Conference action on Thursday, Jan. 4, against Lubbock Christian. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. at the Rip Griffin Center in Lubbock, Texas. The game will be broadcast on the Heartland Conference Digital Network.
 
ABOUT TAMIU
The Dustdevils finished 2017 on a high note with a commanding 86-56 victory over West Coast Baptist College last week in Lancaster, Calif. snapping a three-game losing streak.  Three Dustdevils scored in double figures against the Eagles as they picked up their first road win of the season improving to 7-7. 
 
Head coach Bryan Weakley's squad enters the new year averaging 69.3 points per game shooting 44.9% from the field and 36.5% from 3-point range. They excel on the defensive side of the ball holding opposing teams to a Heartland Conference-best 63.8 points per game which ranks them 11^th in the nation.
 
Dan Milota (12.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg) will need to have another big game on Thursday if they are going to pick up their first conference win of the season. The senior forward is coming off his best performance at TAMIU scoring 29 points on 10-of-16 from the field and 8-of-11 from the free-throw line against WCBC. He also pulled down a career-high eight rebounds.  
 
Xabier Gomez (13.4 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.4 spg) has been the most consistent scorer for the Dustdevils reaching double figures in 10 games this season including a 26-pont performance against St. Mary's in the conference opener. He can hurt opposing teams from all over the court having made nine of his last 15 3-pointers. Overall, the Barcelona, Spain product is shooting 48.7% from the field, 51.1% from 3-point range and 72.1% from the charity stripe.  
 
Jeremy Wright (9.7 ppg, 5.2 apg, 2.8 spg) and Brendan Ortiz (8.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.3 apg) anchor the backcourt for TAMIU. Wright's 39 steals are tops in the conference and fifth-most in Division II while his 73 assists rank him 24^th nationally. Ortiz is back to full health after missing games earlier in the season due to injury.
 
Kamari Robinson (10.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg) has come off the bench for the past seven matches after making four starts earlier in the season. He has embraced his role off the bench scoring in double figures in four of his past six games including a 21-point outburst against StMU at home.
 
ABOUT LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN
Located in Lubbock, Texas with an enrollment of 1,775, Lubbock Christian is 4-9 and 0-2 in Heartland Conference play. The Chaps are led by seventh-year head coach Todd Duncan, who became the seventh head coach in program history back in 2011-12. He led the Chaps to the NCAA Tournament in 2015-16, which was their first season eligible for postseason play, defeating top-seeded Midwestern State in the first round.
 
The Chaps are happy to see the new year after going 1-4 in December including dropping two straight to Lone Star Conference opponents, Angelo State and Eastern New Mexico. LCU are averaging 75.4 points per game while shooting 46.9% from the field, 37.8% from 3-point range and 69.5% from the free-throw line.
 
Isaac Asrat (19.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg) is the second leading scorer in the conference with just under 20-points per game. He has been the go-to-guy for the Chaps scoring 20 or more points six times including a career-high 31 against Randall on Nov. 20. Brennen Fowler (15.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg) is one of the top forwards in the conference nearly averaging a double-double through 13 games this season. He has scored in double figures in four straight games including a 30-point performance against nationally-ranked West Texas A&M where he went 13-of-18 from the field. Marcos Schuster (10.7 ppg, 3.8 apg) is the top distributor for the Chaps having recorded back-to-back games with five or more assists.
 
THE SERIES
Thursday's game will be the ninth meeting overall between the two programs… The Dustdevils trail 3-5 in the series having dropped three straight on the road by a margin of 19.3 points… TAMIU won the first-ever meeting, 83-82, on Jan. 4, 2014 with Vadel Faniel making a pair of free throws to put the Dustdevils ahead with two seconds left.
 
A TAMIU WIN WOULD…
Be the first Heartland Conference win of the season for the Dustdevils… End a three-game road losing streak to LCU… Be the second-straight road win of the season.
 
A TAMIU LOSS WOULD…
Be the fourth straight loss on the road to LCU… Mark the first time in program history they have opened Heartland Conference play 0-3.
 
THIS DAY IN DUSTDEVIL MEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY…
TAMIU is 2-2 on games played on Jan. 4… The Dustdevils and Chaps have met before on this date with TAMIU winning 83-82 in Lubbock back in 2014.
 
A LOOK BACK AT FRIDAY
The Dustdevils shot 50.8% from the field and 77.8% from the free-throw line as they defeated West Coast Baptist College on Dec. 29 in Lancaster, Calif. The win snapped a three-game losing streak while handing the Dustdevils their first road win of the season.
 
Dan Milota had a career performance against the Eagles with 29 points and eight rebounds. He went 10-of-16 from the field and 8-of-11 from the charity stripe as he eclipsed double figures for the 10^th time this season. Xabier Gomez had another efficient performance with 14 points on 4-of-5 shooting with Kamari Robinson coming off the bench for a 13-point, 7-rebound performance.
 
UP NEXT
The Dustdevils return to the friendly confines of the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building against Oklahoma Christian (Thursday, Nov. 11) and Newman (Saturday, Nov. 13).