LAREDO, Texas (Men's Basketball) – Don Thomas came off the bench and led all Javelina players with 18 points and seven assists but Texas A&M International University (4-3) pulled away late to defeat Texas A&M University-Kingsville (3-5), 88-83, on Wednesday evening at the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building.
 
Trailing by 16 at the half, the Javelinas found themselves in an uphill battle. However, the Hogs outscored the Dustdevils 46-to-29 in the second half to take a 71-70 lead and with 3:07 remaining in the game, Adonis Bailey drained two free throws to tie the contest at 75-all. Later in the frame, TAMIU took an 83-79 edge with 43 ticks left before Thomas' layup made it a one-possession ballgame. After the Dustdevils split free throws, Thomas drained two from the charity stripe to cut TAMUK's deficit to one with 21 seconds remaining. A late turnover sealed the victory for Texas A&M International to extend the Javelinas' losing streak to three.
 
The 58 second-half points are the most points the Javelinas scored in a half this season. DJ Weathers went 5-of-9 to score 15 points off the bench and forward Troy Jones continued to shine in the starting lineup, finishing with 17 points, eight rebounds and two steals. In just his third game of the season following an injury, Bailey went a perfect 3-for-3 from the field and recorded nine points and two steals in 12 minutes of action.
 
On a bright note, second chance opportunities continue to favor the Javelinas as TAMUK pulled down 13 offensive rebounds, scoring 16 second chance points. The Blue and Gold shot 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point range, but the Dustdevils made the most of their trips to the free throw line, connecting on 27 of their 34 from the charity stripe. Combined with shooting 56 percent as a unit and forcing 18 turnovers, TAMIU earned its third consecutive victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Javelinas are now 14-5 all-time against Texas A&M International.
 
Vadal Faniel led all scorers with 19 points and Patrick Coleman and Anthony Alston, who went 11-of-13 from the free throw line, added 15 points apiece. The Dustdevils registered 12 steals and turned the ball over 11 times.

The Javelinas now take a break with finals week approaching and return to action in the Sunshine State, taking on Eckerd College on Dec. 15 and the University of Tampa on Dec. 16.

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