Live Stats | Heartland Conference Digital Network | Game Notes

LAREDO, TEXAS (January 9, 2018) – The Texas A&M International University men's basketball hosts Oklahoma Christian on Thursday, Jan. 11, in the first of two Heartland Conference games this week. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building. The game will be broadcast on the Heartland Conference Digital Network.
 
ABOUT TAMIU
Head coach Bryan Weakley has his team playing some of the toughest defense around as the Dustdevils rank 11^th nationally in scoring defense holding opposing teams to 63.9 points per game. They are holding teams to just 43.2% from the field and 33.5% from 3-point range through 15 games this season.
 
The Dustdevils are happy to be home as they are a much better team offensively at the KCB averaging 70.6 points per game and shooting 46.1% compared to 59.0 and 39.4% on the road. Xabier Gomez (12.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg) has also played better at home averaging 14.4 points per game shooting 51% from the field and 3-point range. The athletic wing is at his best when attacking the rim and getting to the charity stripe at a high volume.
 
Dan Milota (12.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg) will look to rebound after being held to a season-low two points against Lubbock Christia. The senior has scored in double figures 10 times this season including a 29-point performance against West Coast Baptist on Dec. 29 in California. The Dustdevils will need him to be aggressive down low as the have struggled from 3-point range over the past three games going 15-of-63 (.238) including a season-low three in back-to-back games.
 
Kamari Robinson (10.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg) has been the most consistent scorer off the bench for the Dustdevils having reached double figures in four of his last six games including a career-high 21 points in the conference opener against St. Mary's. He has the ability to stretch opposing defenses having made at least one 3-pointer in nine of the last 10 games.
 
Brendan Ortiz (9.3 ppg, 2.3 apg) scored a team-high 13 points going 5-of-11 from the field against LCU marking the third time this season he has been the leading scorer for TAMIU. The Madison, Wisc. product has been one of the top offensive options for the Dustdevils in conference play averaging 10.3 points per game while shooting 40.7% from the field. Weakley would like to see Jeremy Wright (9.2 ppg, 5.0 apg, 2.6 spg) find his shooting touch as the senior has not scored more than 10 points since the end of November. But the shooting slump hasn't stopped him from getting his teammates involved as he ranks 40^th in total assists and 30^th in assist-turnover ratio. But his best work has come on the defensive side of the ball as he leads the conference and ranks sixth in all of Division II with his 39 steals.
 
ABOUT OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN
Located in Edmond, Okla. with an enrollment of 1,974, Oklahoma Christian is 5-9 overall and 1-2 in Heartland Conference play. The Eagles are led by first-year head coach Cory Cole, who became the eighth head coach in program history on April 6, 2016. Prior to returning to OC, Cole was the associated head coach for the women's basketball team at Grand Canyon University.
 
The Eagles played a pair of close games last week including a 62-58 victory over No. 4 Arkansas-Fort Smith on Jan. 4 before falling to St. Edward's 85-81 on Saturday. They are scoring 76.3 points per game shooting 44.7% from the field, 35.7% from 3-point range and 63.2% from the free-throw line.
 
Elijah Strickland (18.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is the top offensive option for the Eagles and third-leading scorer in the Heartland Conference. The senior is shooting from 44.9% from the field, 44.0% from the 3-point range and 72.5% from the free-throw line. He scored a season-high 33 points against Manhattan College on Nov. 28 making nine 3-pointers.  Roderick Smith (14.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg) ranks second in the conference in shooting percentage and rebounding. The junior has 10 or more games this season shooting over 50.0% including a 16-of-19 performance for 33 points against Missouri-St. Louis. Jordan Box (12.2 ppg, 2.6 rpg) is the third Eagle averaging more in double figures. The junior has come off the bench for the past six games for OC averaging 13.3 points shooting 43.5% from the field.
 
THE SERIES
Thursday's game will be the 10^th meeting overall between the two programs… The Dustdevils hold a 7-2 advantage in the series including 3-1 in the friendly confines of the TAMIU KCB… TAMIU has won both games last season by a combined nine points… OC won the first-ever, 92-81, on Jan. 24, 2013 in Edmond.
 
A TAMIU WIN WOULD…
Move them to 5-5 at home in the season… Be their first Heartland Conference win of the season… Improve the Dustdevils to 8-2 all-time against OC and 4-1 at home… Be their first win of 2018.
 
A TAMIU LOSS WOULD…
Be a fourth straight conference loss… Be a fourth straight loss at home… Be the second loss at home to OC in the all-time series.
 
THIS DAY IN DUSTDEVIL MEN'S BASKETBALL HISTORY…
TAMIU is 1-1 on games played on Jan. 11… The Dustdevils defeated St. Edward's 88-64 at home in 2014 behind the 19-point performance of Johnel Grey… TAMIU lost to Dixie State 66-54 at home in 2007.
 
A LOOK BACK AT THE TRIP TO LUBBOCK
 The Dustdevils struggled on the road in a 66-43 loss to Lubbock Christian last Thursday, Jan. 4, at the Rip Griffin Center marking the first 0-3 Heartland Conference start in program history. They shot 43.0% from the field, 20.0% from 3-point range and 85.7% from the free-throw line in a game where they trailed by as many as 25 points late in the second half.
 
Brendan Ortiz was the only TAMIU player to reach double figures in scoring with 13. He scored nine of those in the first half tying a career-high chipping in four rebounds and two assists. Kamari Robinson came off the bench for the eighth straight game to score nine points making three of his six shots including a 3-pointer. Damon Leach also had an impressive performance off the bench with six points and a team-high six rebounds with four of those coming on the offensive glass. 
 
UP NEXT
The Dustdevils finish off the two-game home stand against Newman on Saturday, Jan. 13, at 3 p.m.