KINGSVILLE, Texas – The Texas A&M-Kingsville's men's basketball team hits the road for the second straight week for two pivotal East Division matchups in the Lone Star Conference.
The road trip starts on Thursday night at 7 p.m. as the Javelinas (16-8, 10-6 LSC) will take on the UT Tyler Patriots (9-11, 5-11 LSC) before taking on the Patriots of Dallas Baptist (13-11, 8-8 LSC) on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
This stint on the road marks the second of its kind in as many weeks for TAMUK as the Javs split a pair of road contests last week falling last Thursday, 92-83 before bouncing back to defeat Arkansas Fort Smith on Saturday, 72-53.
The win over UAFS was a historic one for the Blue and Gold as the Hogs held the Lions to just 9 points in the first half, the lowest amount of allowed points for a half in program history.
On top of a stellar defensive performance, C.J. Smith and Dillon Gooding posted double-digit points, going for 22 and 19 respectively in the win. Smith's offensive outburst marked a season high for the junior from Mansfield, Texas.
SCOUTING UT TYLER
The Patriots welcome the Javelinas to the Herrington Patriot Center after dropping their two games last week to St. Mary's, 66-51, and St. Edward's, 90-77.
UT Tyler is led by senior guard Rashun Williams who is fourth in points per game in the LSC averaging 17.2 points per game on the season. He is also third in the conference for three pointers per game.
As a team, the Patriots have been consistent in winning the battle for the boards, ranking third in total rebounds per game with an average of 35.95 a game.
The Javelinas bested UT Tyler earlier this season on Jan. 14 in Kingsville, erasing an 11 point halftime deficit en route to a 66-59 victory.
SCOUTING DBU
The Patriots of DBU split their contests last week, snagging a narrow, 85-84 victory over St. Mary's before falling to St. Edward's in another thriller, 66-63.
Entering the week, DBU as a team sits third in the conference for assists per game with 14.5 and turnover margin with a mark of +2.66.
Senior guard Ta'Jay Dunlap also leads the LSC in steals per game averaging just under two swipes per game.
The last time these two teams met was on Jan. 12 in Kingsville, where the Javelinas won, 66-48 in a tough defensive battle that saw TAMUK force 17 DBU turnovers.
UP NEXT
The Javelinas will return next week for matchups against Midwestern State and Cameron for senior day and African American Heritage night.
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.
