LAREDO, Texas — Despite a strong night inside from Gaius Mervin M'Ella, Texas A&M International couldn't overcome Oklahoma Christian's balance and timely free-throw shooting, falling 68–58 on Friday night at the TAMIU Convocation Center.
The Dustdevils (5–8, 2–3 LSC) trailed 36–29 at halftime and could never quite erase the gap, as the Eagles answered each run and stretched the lead to as many as 16 midway through the second half.
M'Ella anchored TAMIU with a team-high 24 points and 9 rebounds, finishing 12-of-22 from the field while controlling the paint for long stretches. Jamyier Patton added 10 points, four assists and four steals, and Peyton Gusters chipped in six points and nine rebounds.
Oklahoma Christian (7–4, 2–3) relied on efficiency at the line and steady interior scoring. Carson Jones had a strong night with 14 points and nine rebounds, while Elijah Bailey added 14 points and four steals. The Eagles shot 23-of-31 at the free-throw line and converted 34 points in the paint.
Cold perimeter shooting proved costly for TAMIU, which went 4-of-24 from three and 33 percent overall. Oklahoma Christian shot 43.8 percent from the field and controlled the tempo down the stretch.
TAMIU made one final push when Patton knocked down a late three to trim the deficit to 13, but the Dustdevils couldn't get closer as the Eagles closed things out at the stripe.
Oklahoma Christian also capitalized on points off turnovers (15–12) and held a 23–10 advantage in bench scoring.
The Dustdevils return to conference action against Cameron University on January 4th, looking to regroup and build off M'Ella's standout performance.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Gaius Mervin M'Ella, Senior, comes to Laredo from Oyem, Gabon. He is the son of Ella and has three siblings. Gaius is pursuing his degree in Business Administration.
M'Ella carried the Dustdevils offensively and kept them within striking distance for most of the night, dominating touches in the paint and finishing through contact. He also impacted the glass and drew fouls consistently.
