KINGSVILLE, Texas (Men's Basketball) – Texas A&M University-Kingsville (6-2) looks to continue its winning ways as they prepare to play St. Mary's University (2-6) for the second time this season. This matchup will take place on the Hogs home floor—the Gil E. Steinke Physical Education Center-Kingsville Hampton Inn Court—on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m.
Live stats, stream and audio will all be accessible at javelinaathletics.com. Kevin Piel will call the doubleheader with the women playing at 5:15 p.m. against St. Mary's for the second time this season as well.
The Javelinas are eight points shy of a perfect record this season and carries a two-game winning streak into their final non-conference Division II game of the season. Inversely, the Rattlers are 2-6 in the young 2016-17 season and are currently on a three-game drought after falling to Angelo State in overtime, following the 79-64 loss handed to them by the Hogs a couple of weeks ago.
Overall this season, Texas A&M-Kingsville is headed by its defense which is tied for first in the Lone Star Conference in forcing 19 turnovers per game. Trey Sumpter leads the team with 15 points per game and 5.3 rebounds per game. He is followed by Duan Wright who scores 10 PPG and pulls down 5.1 boards per contest. Caelan Neal is next in scoring with 9.5 PPG and ties Marcus Frazier for a team-best 13 steals who also adds 8.3 PPG. Offensively the Javs have a scoring average of 70.5 PPG and shoots 43% from the field.
St. Mary's will play its seventh consecutive game against a member of the LSC. Other than wins over Eastern New Mexico and Midwestern State, the Rattlers have struggled against the conference with losses against Cameron, A&M-Kingsville and two against Angelo State. StMU has four players who score in double figures starting with Yanni Wetzell at 14.5 PPG and followed by Freddie Williams, Will Ferguson and Skylar Brooks who all average 11 points. As a unit, the institution from the Alamo City shoots 44% and averages 72 PPG.
When the two teams met earlier in the season, Mr. Money Ball Sumpter paced all scorers in a career night with 29 points and made a career-best six three-pointers. Frazier and Derrick Byrd followed with ten points each as the Javs shot an impressive 50% from the field and 52% from downtown.
"St. Mary's is going to want to come in here and get revenge," head coach Johnny Estelle said. "They are a very physical team and are a low post oriented team. We will have to be ready."
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