TYLER, Texas – Texas A&M International stayed within striking distance for much of the afternoon but UT Tyler pulled away in the second half to claim a 78-67 Lone Star Conference victory Saturday at the Herrington Patriot Center.
 
The Dustdevils (12-14, 9-11 LSC) carried a narrow 40-39 lead into halftime after a strong second quarter and led by as many as seven points early in the game. TAMIU used second-chance opportunities and strong rebounding to remain in control for stretches of the first half.
 
UT Tyler (20-9, 16-4 LSC) turned the momentum in the third quarter, outscoring the Dustdevils 20-15 to take the lead before pulling away with a 19-point fourth quarter. The Patriots shot just over 50 percent from the field and held an advantage in points in the paint to secure the win.
 
Bridgette Tello led the Dustdevils with 24 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including three three-pointers, while adding four rebounds. Jayden Smallwood added 17 points, and Racheal Emmanuel recorded a dominant double-double with 16 points and 21 rebounds.
 
UT Tyler was led by Leila Davis with 21 points, while KK Bass added 10 and Hayley Cumming contributed nine.
 
TAMIU controlled the glass with a 49-30 rebounding advantage and finished with 20 second-chance points, but 23 turnovers and missed free-throw opportunities proved costly down the stretch.
 
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 led the Dustdevils with 24 points on an efficient 7-of-10 shooting performance and knocked down three shots from beyond the arc. She helped power TAMIU's offense and kept the Dustdevils competitive throughout the contest.