LAREDO, Texas — Texas A&M International University women's basketball opened the 2026-27 season in thrilling fashion Monday evening, overcoming a 16-point deficit to defeat Texas A&M-San Antonio, 85-82, at the Kinesiology Building.

The Dustdevils (1-0) used a dominant second-half performance to erase a nine-point halftime deficit, outscoring the Jaguars 56-44 over the final two quarters to secure their first victory of the season.

Bright Eze led the charge for TAMIU, recording an impressive double-double with 17 points and 22 rebounds, including 17 defensive boards. Eze shot 6-of-10 from the field while adding two assists and a block.

Ja'mareah Linville delivered an all-around performance, finishing with 13 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, four steals and two blocks. Carmen Morcillo provided a spark from beyond the arc, contributing 14 points on four 3-pointers.

TAMIU opened the contest with a strong defensive effort, holding Texas A&M-San Antonio to 13 first-quarter points while building a 17-13 advantage. However, the Jaguars responded in the second quarter, outscoring the Dustdevils 25-12 and building a lead as large as 16 points before taking a 38-29 advantage into halftime.

Facing a nine-point deficit, the Dustdevils came out of the locker room with renewed energy, producing their highest-scoring quarter of the evening. TAMIU poured in 30 third-quarter points while limiting the Jaguars to 21, bringing the contest even at 59-59 entering the final period.

The Dustdevils carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, outscoring Texas A&M-San Antonio 26-23 to complete the comeback and secure the three-point victory.

TAMIU finished the evening shooting 40.3% from the field and 31.6% from beyond the arc. The Dustdevils also controlled the glass, outrebounding the Jaguars 52-35, while recording 21 assists and five blocks.

Abigail Martinez contributed 11 points and eight rebounds off the bench, while Bri'anna McClinton added 10 points and four rebounds. Kimora Carroll chipped in nine points, including seven from the free-throw line.

Texas A&M-San Antonio was led by Chyna Nixon, who finished with a game-high 21 points, while Zaranique Nealy added 16 points and seven steals.

The victory gives the Dustdevils a 1-0 start to the 2026-27 campaign.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT:
Bright Eze delivered a dominant performance in TAMIU's season-opening victory over Texas A&M-San Antonio, recording a double-double with 17 points and a game-high 22 rebounds. Eze shot an efficient 60% from the field, converting six of her 10 attempts while adding two assists, a steal and a block. Her presence in the paint and dominance on the glass helped fuel the Dustdevils' 16-point comeback and 85-82 victory.

Eze is a junior forward / center for Texas A&M International University and is currently pursuing a degree in Business administration. A native of Lagos, Nigeria, Bright is the daughter of Eze Ifeoma and was born on March 26, 2007.