LAREDO, Texas –Texas A&M International men's basketball kept their postseason hopes alive, with a 79-68 victory over Midwestern State on Saturday at home. 
 
TAMIU (17-11, 10-10 LSC) was in a defensive slugfest in the opening half, with the score being just 36-32 at the half.
 
The Mustangs (10-16, 8-13) started the game on a 15-5 run over the first 6:35 of the game, but the Dustdevils answered right back on a 14-2 run over the next 4:27 to take a 19-17 lead. 
 
The teams traded baskets back and forth over the final eight minutes of the first half with TAMIU leading 36-32 at halftime. 
  
Out of halftime, the Dustdevils went on an 18-8 run to capture a 54-40 lead with 11:23 left in the half. 
 
Midwestern State hit two shots in a row to cut the lead to nine, but TAMIU regained a double-digit lead immediately and led by at least 10 until the Mustangs cut the lead to nine with 3:03 left in the game. 
 
The Mustangs got as close as 75-68 but the Dustdevils closed the game out at the line to seal the victory. 
 
In the victory, TAMIU shot 28-for-53 (52.8%) from the floor, 12-for-25 (48.0%) from behind the arc and 11-for-21 (52.4) from the free-throw line.
 
On the other end, Midwestern State shot 44.3%, going 27-for-61 from the field and 5-for-16 (31.3%) from deep, as well as 9-for-13 (69.2%) from the charity stripe.
 
Sophomore Lonzo Rand led the way with 15 points and three assists, while graduate student Greg Bowie II and added 13 points and five assists. 
 
Senior Jermaine Drewey also scored double figures with 12 points, seven rebounds, one block and four assists, while junior John Achebe tallied 10 points, three rebounds and two assists. 
 
The Dustdevils currently sit in eighth place in the conference after Saturday with two games remaining via a head-to-head tiebreaker over DBU. The top eight teams will earn a spot in the conference tournament. 
 
TAMIU looks to build on their four-game winnings streak and keep their LSC Tournament hopes alive when they face Texas A&M-Kingsville on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. in Kingsville, Texas.