LAREDO, Texas --- The South Dakota School men's basketball team was firing on all cylinders Saturday night as the Hadrockers defeated the Texas A&M – International Dustdevils, 93-66, to close out a Texas road trip in Laredo during a non-conference matchup.
The Dustdevils never led in the first half as the Hardrockers jumped out to an early 4-0 lead on a free throw from Logan Elers and a three from Jake Heath. TAMIU tied it up heading into the first media timeout on a layup from Dan Milota.
SD Mines would go on a 16-7 run courtesy of four TAMIU turnovers. A layup from Dustdevil Jeremy Wright at 7:06 cut the lead to five but a three from Jack Fiddler and layup from Elers returned the Hardrockers lead to double-digits. SDSMT scored the final eight points of the first half after the Dustdevils had got within seven on a three from Danny Spinuzza.
SD Mines led at the half, 42-30.
The Hardrockers opened the second half on an 11-2 run extending their lead to 23 points. Texas's Xabier Gomez chipped into the visitiors' lead at 14:57 with a pair of free throws, but the Dustdevils couldn't keep pace as SD Mines' Troy Brady hit one of his four threes on the night just after the second media timeout making it a 23-point game before Leach's three point play made it 62-42.
Trying to rally TAMIU's offense, Gomez hit a three followed by a pair of free throws to cutting the lead to 17 with 6:28 remaining but that was as close as the Dustdevils would get as the Hardrockers finished the game on a 20-10 run.
SD Mines shot an impressive 54 percent from the field, hitting 28-52 attempts, including 14 three-pointers, along with 23-27 from the free throw line (85 pecent). The 'Rockers added 38 rebounds, 20 assists, two steals and one block.
The Dustdevils made good on 26-58 baskets for 45 percent (seven three-pointers) and was 7-13 from the foul line. The home team recorded 26 rebounds, 15 assists six steals and one block.
Individually for the Hardrockers, sophomore Jake Heath paced the visitors with 19 points, including 5-10 from behind the arc. Troy Brady also had a solid perimeter performance with 17 total points, hitting four three-pointers. Wilfred Dickson and Elers both contributed with 13 points each and Fiddler cashed in for 11 points.
Texas A&M was led by Gomez with 14 points, followed by Kamari Robinson with 11 and Wright added 10.
Saturday marked the first win of the season for the 'Rockers who will return home this weekend to face Johnson and Wales Friday in a 7:30 p.m. non-conference battle.
