San Antonio – Javelina head coach Pete Peterson’s halftime speeches must be working. For the second time in three games the Javelinas rallied from a halftime deficit to win, beating Incarnate Word 67-63 on the road Saturday afternoon. The win improved the Javelinas to 3-0 while the loss dropped the Cardinals to 1-3.
Senior Remi Yusuf had another great game, scoring 25 points on 11-of-18 shooting, grabbing a team-high seven rebounds, coming up with three steals and playing all 40 minutes.
Rickey Huckaby was the only other Javelina in double figures with 15 points.
Mikyl Bradshaw led the Cardinals with 16 points.
After shooting just under 38 percent from the floor in the first half, the Javelinas made just over 55 percent of their shots in the second half.
The Javelina defense was especially effective, forcing 19 turnovers while the Javelina offense committed only eight.
Texas A&M-Kingsville scored 19 points off turnovers to just three for the Cardinals.
While the Cardinals shot 52 percent from the floor, they had 16 fewer shot attempts than the Javelinas.
Texas A&M-Kingsville won despite making just 3 of 13 3-point shots and 10 of 27 free throws.
“We didn’t play well, but we hung in there,” said Peterson. “In the first half we weren’t executing offensively and they knocked down everything they put up. Defensively we had to get better. We knew our shots would eventually fall. We got some key steals especially from Rickey. I’m proud of the way we hung tough.”
Incarnate Word had 31-28 halftime lead, built it to 36-28 in the first minute and a half of the second half, and held the lead for the first 15 ½ minutes of the second half.
But the Cardinals second half lead never got bigger than eight and San Antonio native Stephen Story hit two free throws with 4:21 left in the game to give the Javelinas their first lead of the second half, 58-56.
Huckaby then came up with a steal and a layup to increase the lead to 60-56.
Once obtained, it was a lead Texas A&M-Kingsville would never relinquish.
The pivotal offensive play of the game came when Remi Yusuf hit a jumper with 41 seconds left to give the Javelinas a four- point lead, 66-62.
“Remi hit a monster shot,” said Peterson. “That’s what you expect from a guy that’s the player of the year in your league.”
It marked the 34th consecutive game that Yusuf had scored in double figures and the 14th time in the last 28 games that he has scored at least 20 points.
Incarnate Word had beating 21st ranked Harding (Ark.) earlier in the season and lost an overtime decision to Midwestern State Tuesday night.
“They are much improved over last year,” said Peterson. “We are glad to get a win and get out of here.”
The Javelinas will look to improve to 4-0 for the second consecutive year when they take on St. Mary’s in San Antonio Monday night.
