LAREDO, Texas - Texas A&M International men's basketball (6-20, 3-12 HC) held No. 4 St. Edward's (25-2, 14-1 HC) to its second lowest point total in conference play in the 74-58 defeat.

Xabier Gomez led the squad and finished just one rebound shy of a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds as well as two assists and a steal. Damon Leach posted 13 points with seven rebounds and an assist. Caleb Highley finished just two points shy of a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, in addition to an assist.

The majority of the first half was an extremely close, physical and defensive affair. The period featured four lead changes and four ties. With 8:39 left in the half, both teams were tied at 10-10. However, the Hilltoppers were able to break out on an 11-0 run to push out to a 26-13 lead with four minutes remaining in the period. They would take a 34-19 advantage into the break. 

If the first half was a defense-heavy period, the second half was an offense-heavy period as the SEU only outscored TAMIU 40-39. While the Hilltoppers held a double-digit lead for most of the half, the Dustdevils held them in check for the most part only letting their lead expand to its largest at 18 points. In fact, TAMIU had one final burst left in them as they were able to put together a 10-0 run to trim the lead to 48-40 with 12 minutes remaining. Unfortunately, a three-pointer on the ensuing possession would effectively kill the comeback. SEU eventually took the 74-58 victory.

The Dustdevils will close out the regular season on Saturday, March 1 on Senior Day as they play host to St. Mary's at 3 p.m., and look to keep their hopes of a berth in the Heartland Conference Tournament alive.