#LSCmbb: Second-half surge lifts Texas A&M International to upset over DBU - Lone Star Conference Skip To Main Content
Trevor Fleeman

Men's Basketball

#LSCmbb: Second-half surge lifts Texas A&M International to upset over DBU

 Championship Central
 
By NICK EATMAN
 
            FRISCO, Texas – Down by six at the 10:00 mark of the second half, Texas A&M-International went on a monstrous 19-0 run that spanned over seven minutes of game clock and proved to be the difference in an 85-75 upset win over DBU.
            The No. 6 seeded Dustdevils trailed by as much as nine in the second half, but were down 61-55 when they turned the tables on No. 3 DBU with a combination of clutch shots and suffocating defense on the other end to gain the school’s first-ever game in the LSC Championships.
            Esteban Roacho scored a season-high 25 points, including 15 in the second half as the Dustdevils grabbed control of the game. The win advanced TAMIU to Saturday’s semifinal game against No. 3 seed Lubbock Christian at Comerica Center (Noon).
            For DBU, the loss drops them to 21-10. The Pioneers will now wait for the seeding in next week’s regional tournament. DBU currently is ranked third in the South Central Regional.
            The Dustdevils, however, are unranked and need a strong showing in the LSC Championships, if not winning the entire tournament to extend their season. And they played with that kind of energy in the second half. One of the biggest differences occurred at the free throw line. TAMIU had just three attempts in the first minute, but went to the stripe 23 times in the second half, making 16.
            Other than Roacho, the Dustdevils had four others in double-figure scoring, including John Achebe, who had 20 points and six rebounds. Jaylen Thompson scored 14 points, Jalen Barnes had 11 and Olaverr Camacho scored 10 with six rebounds.
            For the Pioneers, Ricky Lujan had 30 points with seven rebounds. Cameron Kahn scored 17 points and Trevor Frank added 10.
 
DBU Notes:
  • Cameron Kahn was second in the LSC in scoring with 20.1 ppg, but was held in check in the second half and finished with 17.
  • The Pioneers were first in the LSC with a 7.46 turnover margin, but it wasn’t a factor on Friday. They forced just 19 turnovers but committed 18.
  • DBU is the LSC leader in steals, averaging 11.0 as a team, but had 10 steals Friday.
  • DBU is now 2-5 in seven games of the LSC Championships.
 
Texas A&M-International Notes:
  • Esteban Roacho averaged 4.3 points per game this season with a previous season-high of 19 points before exploding for 25 Friday.
  • The Dustdevils were tied for last in the LSC in 3-point makes per game, hitting only 5.8. They were able to make seven on Friday.
  • The win is the first for the Dustdevils in the LSC Championships.
  • TAMIU was last in the LSC in free-throw shooting, making just 68.6 percent. On Friday, they made 69.2 but on 18 of 26 attempts.