Kingsville – Senior Remi Yusuf scored 12 of his game-high 20 points in the second half to spark the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas to a 72-59 win over St. Mary’s in the season opener for both teams.

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   St. Mary’s led the Javelinas 30-29 at the half, but Texas A&M-Kingsville shot 52 percent in the half and out-scored the Rattlers 43-29 to earn their sixth consecutive home-opening win.

   Junior post player Stephen Story had 16 points and six rebounds and guard Rickey Huckaby added 15 points for Texas A&M-Kingsville.  Story scored 12 in the second half and Huckaby had 11.

   Robert Owens led the Rattlers with 18 points.

   “We said we were going to keep up our defensive intensity in the second half and see what happened,” said Javelina head coach Pete Peterson.  “They did a good job in the first half, but we got fired up and they got a little tired.  I thought we’d get a little burst and that’s what happened.”

   Texas A&M-Kingsville forced 16 turnovers, nine in the second half.  The Javelinas scored 23 points off of turnovers while the Rattlers scored just 10.

   Texas A&M-Kingsville also had a decisive advantage on the boards, out-rebounding the Rattlers 39-26.

   Junior post player Juan Lanauze came off the bench to lead the Javelinas with seven boards.

   St. Mary’s led 38-36 three and a half minutes into the second half, but the Javelinas went on a game-changing 9-0 run to grab a 45-38 advantage.  St. Mary’s never got closer than five points the rest of the game.

   Yusuf scored four points and reserve guard Reggie Love hit a 3-point basket during that stretch

   “Reggie Love’s three really got us going,” said Peterson.  “I thought our guard play was excellent and in the second half and our big guys stepped up.”

   Texas A&M-Kingsville continued to pull away from St. Mary’s building its lead to as many as 16, 70-54, with 4:22 left in the contest.

   The Javelinas were coming off an 80-61-exhibition defeat at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Monday night and played like a tired ballclub in the first half.

   The Javelinas shot just under 37 percent in the first half and made only 1 of 6 3-point shots.

   In the second half the Javelinas made 14 of 18 free throws and held the Rattlers to just 41 percent shooting over the final 20 minutes and without a 3-point field goal.

   “We were a little tired and I was a little worried about our psyche,” said Peterson.  “We got off to a slow start, but it’s out of our system now and we’re not thinking about Monday anymore.”