KINGSVILLE, Texas — Texas A&M International erased an early deficit and outlasted Texas A&M-Kingsville, 73–71, Tuesday evening at the Steinke Center to earn a hard-fought Lone Star Conference road victory.
The Dustdevils (8–6, 5–3 LSC) trailed by as many as 14 points in the opening quarter but steadily chipped away before using a strong second half to secure the two-point win over the Javelinas (2–11, 2–5 LSC).
TAMIU was led by Bridgette Tello, who poured in a game-high 23 points, knocking down 5-of-7 from beyond the arc. Tello was instrumental down the stretch, helping the Dustdevils seize momentum in the third quarter and hold off a late Kingsville push.
Jayden Smallwood recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds and going 8-of-16 at the free-throw line, while Carmen Morcillo added nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range. Racheal Emmanuel chipped in eight points and eight rebounds, providing a strong presence on the glass.
After falling behind 27–15 at the end of the first quarter, the Dustdevils responded with a defensive stand in the second, holding the Javelinas to just six points to cut the halftime deficit to 33–28. TAMIU continued its surge in the third quarter, outscoring Kingsville 22–13, before surviving a tight fourth quarter to close out the win.
Texas A&M-Kingsville was paced by Kaycee Groves, who finished with 20 points, while Kaylee Howell added 18 points. The Javelinas shot 48.1 percent from the field but were limited to just four bench points compared to TAMIU's 25.
The Dustdevils will look to build on the momentum as they continue Lone Star Conference play later this week, once again, against Texas A&M Kingsville.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Bridgette Tello, Junior, is a native of Laredo, Texas. She is the daughter of Rogelio and Cynthia and has seven siblings. She is pursuing her degree in Business Administration.
Tello delivered a clutch performance to lead Texas A&M International to a 73–71 road victory at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The junior guard finished with a game-high 23 points, shooting 6-of-10 from the field and a sharp 5-of-7 from three-point range. Tello also added three assists and three steals, playing a pivotal role in TAMIU's second-half surge and steadying the offense down the stretch as the Dustdevils held off a late Javelina push.
