LAREDO, Texas – Jacolby Harris leads the charge as #RV Texas A&M University-Kingsville (7-0) eyes the best start in program history after they prevail on the road against Texas A&M International University (3-3) 66-61 on Friday night at the TAMIU Kinesiology and Convocation Building. 
  
The Javelinas win seven straight games to begin a season for the first time since 2006-07. The visiting team had the odds stacked against them after being outrebounded 44-22, trailed for 46 percent of the game, and shot 25 percent from behind the arc. But the Hogs continued to grind and fatigue settled in for the Dustdevils who were outscored 33-3 from bench players and committed 19 turnovers that translated into 20 points. 
 
Jacobly Harris scored a career-high 19 points, shooting 5-of-7 from the floor including three three-pointers. He finished with a +12 efficiency rate. Derrick Byrd followed with ten points and Caelan Neal was next with nine and had team-highs of four rebounds and three assists. Kamari Robinson led a trio of Dustdevils with his double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds. Jeremy Wright dropped 16 points and Xabier Gomez scored 13 points. 
      
First Half 
It was a tough shooting start for both clubs, but a 10-0 run sparked by a triple from Elton Dyer gave the Hogs a 16-10 lead with 9:06 on the clock. Wright caught fire, however, scoring seven of the next nine Dustdevils' points and a 13-2 run put the home team ahead 26-20 with just under three minutes remaining in the half. Moments later down by eight, TAMUK reeled off six unanswered points courtesy of Harris who connected on back-to-back threes and the Javelinas went into the break down 30-28. 
 
Derrick Byrd and Jacolby Harris led the team with eight points each followed by four from Dyer. 
 
Second Half 
The run continued through the intermission with Will West opening the frame with a jumper to tie the game at 30. The Hogs and Dustdevils continued to trade buckets, but a four-point play by Harris gave the Javelinas a 39-38 lead at 15:07. International came down and dropped a three for yet another lead change, however, Kingsville's 6-0 run over two minutes gave them a 45-41 lead, their largest since the 6:43 mark in the first half. TAMIU did not quit though as they gave the game its 12th tie of the night at 59 with a long ball from Dan Milota with a minute left to play. But much like the first half, TAMUK closed the deal with a 6-0 run to win their seventh straight, 66-61.    
  
Notable Stats 
- There was a total of eight ties and nine lead changes in the second half alone. 
- The Javelinas shot 42.6 percent from the field and 67.7 percent from the charity stripe. 
- Both teams totaled 11 second-chance points despite International winning the battle on the offensive boards, 20-8. 
- Christian Bambrook and Robert Stevenson finished with game-highs of two blocks. 
- Cris Boleware tied for a game-high three assists. 
- In the second half, the Hogs shot 1-of-5 from the three-point line but still outscored the Dustdevils 38-31.  
 
With most of the non-conference schedule complete, Texas A&M-Kingsville will open its Lone Star Conference schedule at home on Tuesday, November 28 against #RV Angelo State University at 7:30 p.m. 
 
Become a member of the 6th Man Pack that features great benefits such as reserved chairback seating for home games and access to the 6th Man Pack Lounge at LSC doubleheaders for the 2017-18 season. The 6th Man Pack Lounge will be catered by Fatman's Meat Market. For more information on joining the team, contact the ticket office at 361-593-4030. 
 
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