SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Texas A&M-Kingsville men's basketball team won its final game of 2022, defeating St. Mary's 67-61 on Friday night.
The win marks the eighth straight win for the Javelinas over the Rattlers (6-4, 3-2 LSC) to improve to 8-5 on the season and 2-3 in Lone Star Conference play.
"I cannot be more proud of my staff and players," said head coach Johnny Estelle after the win. "This was more than just a culture win. This was a unit win. I was not able to be get to San Antonio until yesterday after having holiday flights home canceled. I attribute this win to Coach Gonzalez and Thomas' efforts in preparing our team... Our team leadership was amazing as well. I thought there were several individuals that stepped up and gave us the much-needed leadership & direction to be able to beat a very good St. Mary's team"
The Javelina victory came in large part due to a strong shooting performance from beyond the arc as the team shot 11-25 from three-point range for the game and an impressive 7-11 in the second half.
"We were able to get better looks tonight whether in transition or in the half court," said Estelle. "We had 15 assists which also attributed to shooting better. Our extra time working on shooting was very evident tonight."
Jake Majors led the team offensively with 13 total points followed by C.J. Smith who scored 10, and Marcus Jones-Green, Isaiah Payne, and Kendrick Washington who all posted 9 total points in the win respectively.
The first half was a back-and-forth affair but a 12-0 run would see the Javelinas take a 33-29 lead into halftime.
The second half would feature more of the same, but the Hogs would get red hot with a stretch where there next seven made buckets would come from three-point range. This run towards the end of the second half would prove the difference, as St. Mary's would never recover the lead in the game.
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Now the Javelinas will travel to Austin to take on the Hilltoppers of St. Edward's on New Year's Day at 3 p.m.
"St. Edwards has a good program and are a well-coached team," said Estelle. "Having a 1-day prep will make it very challenging, but in the LSC there are no nights off. You have to be ready to compete and play no matter who you play and where you play!"
To keep up with the Javelinas all season long visit javelinaathletics.com to find links to live stats and streaming information as well as a recap at the end of each contest. Fans can learn more about the Javelina men's basketball team 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.
Watch your Javelinas live today on the Javelina Sports Network . Get the Official Javelina Athletics Mobile App today! Download on the App Store or Get It on Google Play to keep up with all the news, scores and updates of your favorite Javelinas.
