LAREDO, Texas — West Texas A&M used a strong first half and efficient shooting to defeat Texas A&M International 77-64 on Saturday afternoon at the TAMIU Convocation Center.

The Buffaloes (19-9, 11-7 LSC) shot 53.6 percent from the field in the opening half to build a 42-35 lead at the break. WTU finished the game at 48.1 percent overall and connected on nine three-pointers at a 42.9 percent clip.

TAMIU (8-18, 5-13 LSC) stayed within striking distance early and briefly held a first-half lead, but West Texas A&M used an 8-0 run midway through the period to seize control. The Buffaloes led for more than 38 minutes of game time and pushed their advantage to as many as 21 in the second half.

Jamyier Patton paced the Dustdevils with 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting, adding four rebounds. Spivey Word provided a spark off the bench with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while Caylen Goff Brown added nine points.

The Dustdevils found success in the paint, outscoring West Texas A&M 38-32 inside and holding a 14-6 edge in second-chance points. However, the Buffaloes capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 16-of-20 attempts (80 percent) compared to TAMIU's 6-of-12 (50 percent).

Brock Mishak led all scorers with 24 points for West Texas A&M, hitting 9-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Fontaine Williams added 16 points, while Jailyn Sledge chipped in 13 points and a team-high 12 rebounds.

TAMIU trimmed the deficit to 13 late in the second half but could not overcome the Buffaloes' efficiency from the perimeter and at the line as West Texas A&M secured the conference victory.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: Jamyier Patton, Junior, comes to Laredo from Buffalo, New York. He is the son of Alexia and has five siblings. He is pursuing his degree in Business Administration.

Patton led the way for the Dustdevils with a game-high 20 points, shooting an efficient 9-of-16 from the field. Patton consistently attacked the rim and provided a steady offensive presence throughout both halves, helping TAMIU stay within reach during key stretches. He also added four rebounds and played a major role in the Dustdevils' 38 points in the paint.