TAMIU Sports Notes
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Texas A&M International University will host NCAA Division II foe Texas A&M University –Kingsville on Saturday at TAMIU’s Kinesiology and Convocation Building. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. The game will be TAMIU’s last non-conference tune-up before opening Red River Athletic Conference play with a home game against Huston-Tillotson on Dec. 5.
This year will mark the second straight year that TAMIU will host Kingsville on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Javelinas hold a 4-0 advantage in the all-time series against the Dustdevils. All four games have been decided by double-digits, with the closest games being two 12-pointdecisions last year when TAMUK won 71-59 in Laredo and 85-73 in Kingsville.
The Program & Head Coach
The Texas A&M International University men’s basketball team is competing as a third year program as members of the NAIA and Red River Athletic Conference. Tarvish Felton (Southern Utah, 1999) was hired as TAMIU’s first coach in September, 2002. He guided the Dustdevils to a 24-39 overall record in the program’s first two years. After finishing 10th in the RRAC regular season standings in 2003-04 the Dustdevils finished fifth in the final conference standings last season, qualifying for the conference postseason tournament for the first time. Felton has a career and school record of 25-40.
Noteworthy
Senior Bo Aluka has recorded career-high point totals in back-to-back games. He came into the season with a single-game high mark of 16 points, accomplished against UT-Permian Basin last season. Aluka scored 19 points in the season-opener against Monterrey Tech before registering 24 points in a win over Universidad Regiomoñtana ... Senior Reggie Lopez made seven of 12
three-pointers in Monday’s exhibition loss to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. His career-high total for treys in a regular season game is five, achieved in a win over Southwestern Assemblies last season ... TAMIU opens conference play with a home game against Huston-Tillotson on Monday, Dec. 5. The Dustdevils have had success against Huston-Tillotson in the past, holding a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series against the Rams. TAMIU swept HTU, 2-0, last season.
WOMEN
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TAMIU will play for the first time in eight days when it hosts NCAA Division II foe St. Mary’s next Tuesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Kinesiology and Convocation Building on campus. After facing the Lady Rattlers, TAMIU will open Red River Athletic Conference play with a home game against Huston-Tillotson on Dec. 5. TAMIU holds a 1-0 advantage in the all-time series with St. Mary’s. The Dustdevils edged the Lady Rattlers, 74-73, in the only previous meeting between the two teams last season in San Antonio.
The Program & Head Coach
The TAMIU women’s basketball team is competing as a third year program as members of the NAIA and Red River Athletic Conference. Head coach Marc García (Trinity, 1993) began the task of building a new program in September, 2002. He guided the Dustdevils to a 31-34 overall record in the program’s first two seasons, with the Dustdevils qualifying for the conference postseason tournament both seasons. García has a career and school record of 34-36 .
Noteworthy
Sophomore Nicole Gipson has broken her own school single-game record for blocked shots in back-to-back games. Gipson first set the record with six blocks against Texas A&M University-Kingsville on Saturday before notching seven blocks against Lubbock Christian on Monday. Gipson previously set the TAMIU record with five blocks in a game twice last season ... Gipson also grabbed 10 rebounds against Kingsville, marking the fifth time in her career that she has notched double-figure rebound totals in a game.
Source: TAMIU Athletics
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