LAREDO, Texas – The Texas A&M International University women's basketball team dropped a 69-59 Lone Star Conference decision to Eastern New Mexico on Thursday evening at the Kinesiology Building.

The Dustdevils (12-11, 9-8 LSC) battled throughout, but a strong second quarter by the Greyhounds (16-9, 12-5 LSC) proved to be the difference.

After trailing just 14-12 at the end of the first quarter, TAMIU struggled to find its offensive rhythm in the second. ENMU shot nearly 59 percent from the field in the period and outscored the Dustdevils 23-13 to take a 37-25 lead into halftime. The Greyhounds pushed their advantage to as many as 17 points late in the second quarter.

TAMIU showed resilience coming out of the break. The Dustdevils matched ENMU with 19 points in the third quarter and trimmed the deficit to single digits early in the frame behind strong interior play. However, Eastern New Mexico maintained control down the stretch, holding off a late push to secure the 10-point win.

Racheal Emmanuel led the way for TAMIU with 23 points and 13 rebounds, recording a double-double while battling inside all night. Bridgette Tello added 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting and went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Taylor Jacobson pulled down six rebounds and added three points, while Jayden Smallwood contributed five boards and two steals.

As a team, the Dustdevils shot 29.2 percent from the floor and 25 percent from three-point range. TAMIU converted 19-of-26 free throws (73.1 percent) and held slight edges in second-chance points (12-9) and fast-break points (12-9).

Eastern New Mexico shot 47.5 percent from the field, connected on seven three-pointers, and scored 44 points in the paint to help seal the road victory.

TAMIU will look to regroup in its next Lone Star Conference contest as the Dustdevils continue conference play.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Racheal Emmanuel, Senior, comes to Laredo from Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She is the daughter of Lorah. She is pursuing her degree in Multidisciplinary Studies.

Racheal Emmanuel delivered a dominant performance in the paint, recording a double-double with 23 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Dustdevils. She battled inside all night, securing seven offensive boards and consistently creating second-chance opportunities for TAMIU. Emmanuel shot 10-of-22 from the field and her physical presence and relentless effort kept the Dustdevils within striking distance throughout the contest.