LAREDO, Texas – Tatyana McFarland put up 13 points to go with 15 rebounds and Angelica Wilson scored 13 while snatching 13 boards, helping the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball team(2-2) hold off the Texas A&M International Dustdevils(0-4), 65-62, on Saturday afternoon at the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building in Laredo, Texas.
Kingsville has four players end the game in double digits, led by 15 from Shaq Debose. Emmeri Archer also contributed 10 points on five-of-seven shooting. For Wilson this represented her second double-double in as many games.
On defense, the Javs allowed their hosts to shoot just 27.9% from the floor and devoured the Dustdevils on the glass, 43-19.
FIRST QUARTER
The teams began the action with an exchange of baskets before Debose found the mark with the night's first triple and Wilson added a layup to put the Javs up five. TAMIU responded with a pair of free throws from Veshae Wilkinson and a fast-break layup by Passionate Amukamara to bring the score to 7-6.
McFarland got the Javelinas back on scoreboard by draining a three and Brynae Thompson added a free throw, but Jaden Gonzales hit from beyond the arc for the Dustdevils, cutting TAMUK's lead to two. McFarland responded with a pair and Tantashea Giger and Debose proceeded to exchange threes. Gonzalez tossed in the final two points of the quarter and the Hoggies ended the period with a 16-14 edge.
SECOND QUARTER
A bucket by Debose and two foul shots by Amukamara started the scoring in the second and Amukamara then tied things up with a basket, but a steal by the visitors led to a transition opportunity for Madison Crawford, who cashed in to put her squad back in front.
After the Dustdevils tied the score again, a jumper by Danica Gonzales gave them 22-20 advantage with 6:31 to play before the half. Wilson responded for Kingsville, as she took a pass from Debose and converted it into two points and Crawford, after an offensive rebound by Wilson, restored the lead for the Blue and Gold with her second bucket of the day.
Three Javelina free throws extended their advantage to six and, after a trey by Gonzales, Wilson hit a pair from the charity stripe for a five-point edge. A minute later, off a Debose assist, McFarland laid one in, but Amukamara swished from long range, bringing TAMIU within four with just over two minutes to play before the half. An exchange of scores by both sides followed before the buzzer sounded to end the second quarter with home team trailing 34-30.
THIRD QUARTER
Following a 9-0 run by TAMIU, Ope Ibrahim broke Kingsville's scoreless streak with a pair of free throws and, soon after, McFarland cashed in for a pair from the foul line, putting her team down one and Archer erased that margin with her third bucket of the afternoon. Debose then took her turn at the charity stripe, sinking both attempts and capping an 8-0 TAMUK rally.
Each team added two to their total and McFarland pushed her point total to 13 by snagging an offensive rebound and laying it up off the glass. A minute later, Wilson took a pass at the free throw line, drove to the hoop and banked in a layup and the Javelina lead grew to 48-41. When Crawford tossed in a triple with less than a minute to play in the quarter, the Javs had a 10-point cushion for the first time all afternoon and they would carry that lead into the final period.
FOURTH QUARTER
Archer became the third Javelina player in double figures when she canned a pair of shots and the visitors moved ahead 55-41 before two free throws by Giger broke what had been a 21-2 run by TAMUK. Wilson then reached 10 points with a layup to restore a 14-point advantage. Amukamara, who finished with a game-high 22, finally blunted Kingsville's charge with scores on consecutive possessions and she scored again in response to layup by Sadie Russell, keeping the Dustdevils within 10.
TAMIU moved to within nine when, after Debose hit a jump shot, Giger knocked one down from beyond the arc and, with 4:14 to play, she sank three free throws and the Dustdevils moved within six. They were within four with 1:30 on the clock when Perez was fouled shooting a three and she drained two of the foul shots. Wilson put the Javelinas ahead 63-59 with a layup, but Gonzales cut that edge to one with a three with 53 seconds left. The Javelinas, however, refused to fold. Free throws by Wilson and Debose extended the lead to three and a final, desperate shot by the Dustdevils was off the mark, and TAMUK has its second straight win.
The Javs will now begin preparations for their home opener, which will take place on Tuesday. These same two teams will square off at the Steinke Physical Education Center at 2 p.m. Live video and audio of the game can be found on Javelinaathletics.com. Receive content for Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball by following @TAMUKWBB on Twitter and Instagram, liking the official Facebook page of Javelina athletics (/JavelinaSports), and subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube channel.
