LAREDO, Texas – Sophomore C.J. Smith (Mansfield, Texas) poured in 24 points and junior Creighton Avery (Corpus Christi, Texas) added 15 to help the Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team knock off the Texas A&M International Dustdevils, 78-65, on Monday night at the Recreation and Convocation Center in Laredo, Texas.
TAMUK's victory puts their record at 9-3 in 2021-22, while the Dustdevils fell to 10-3.
"I thought tonight was about finding a way to win," said coach Johnny Estelle. "All our post players were in serious foul trouble and we had to play some unusual lineups tonight. Our ability to play different lineups and our chemistry allowed us to continue to play through adversity.
"I was proud of our staff, coach Gonzalez and coach Thomas, and all they did in preparation for this difficult game. Coach McConnell and his staff have done a good job with their program."
Smith's 24 points are a season-high and he shot 6-for-12 from the floor, added 11 points from the free throw line and handed out a team-high five assists. Avery hit 6-of-10 on his way to a season-high in scoring and he added three assists. The Hogs' top rebounder was freshman Marcus Jones (Cheneyville, La.), who pulled down five boards.
"I though C.J. Smith was unbelievable tonight," said Estelle. "He controlled the game offensively, led our team with his presence and played like one of the best players in the conference. Creighton Avery was outstanding as well. He was forced into playing another position and had a great all-around game.
"Tayvion Johnson, Xaiver Armstead, Jake Majors and Marcus Jones were definite difference makers off the bench. They gave us a much-needed boost and provided great energy."
The home team was out of the gates first, seizing a 7-2 lead, then they watched two buckets from Smith jumpstart a 15-6 Javelina run that was capped by a Will Chayer (Corpus Christi, Texas) three-point play. After Dustdevils came back to forge a 19-19 tie, the Hogs tallied 18 of the next 27 points, with Avery contributing eight points during that stretch and the Javs rode that momentum into the break in possession of a 41-31 edge.
TAMIU started the second half by quickly whittling their deficit down to three, but despite four instances in which they made it a one possession game, the Dustdevils could never completely close the gap. The last time the home team got within three came at the 9:05 mark when the score was 55-52, only for sophomore Jake Majors (Corpus Christi, Texas) to put together a three-point play to double the Javelina advantage to six points.
With 4:15 on the clock, a TAMIU triple made the score 65-61, but the Javelinas responded with 13-2 run that included nine points from Smith and iced TAMUK's ninth win of the season. The Hogs shot 48 percent from the field on the night, their second-highest single-game shooting percentage of the season, and they were 25-of-29 on free throws.
"After all these young men have been through," said Estelle, "a coach cannot be more proud. These young men demonstrate Javelina pride and spirit in all they do daily. I love these guys."
When the Javelinas take the floor next, it will be on Thursday for Pack The House Night at the SPEC, when they'll take on Arkansas-Fort Smith at 7:30 p.m. Fans can keep up with Javelina men's basketball throughout the season by following @JavelinaMBB on Twitter and Instagram, liking Texas A&M University-Kingsville Men's Basketball on Facebook, subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube channel and visiting Javelinaathletics.com.
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