LAREDO, Texas - Despite trailing Texas A&M International by 10 points at halftime, Oklahoma Christian fought all the way back to take a three-point lead with just over two minutes remaining in regulation, but the Dustdevils prevailed in the end, 66-64.
Taylor Jackson scored a season-high 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting (71.4 percent) while logging her first career 20-5-5 game with nine rebounds and five assists.
Trinity Dobbs echoed Jackson with a career-high five assists while also grabbing four rebounds.
The Lady Eagles as a team did out-shoot International, 50 percent (25-of-50) to 35.9 percent (23-of-63), but managed to hit just eight of their 17 free-throws. Oklahoma Christian was also stricken with 21 turnovers, resulting in 21 TAMIU points.
Texas A&M International opened the game hitting five of its first eight three-pointers for a quick 15-3 lead. The Dustdevils closed the opening frame going 8-of-17 (47.1 percent) from beyond the arc, holding a 25-9 lead after 10 minutes of action. The rest of the game, International netted just two triples as OC began its comeback.
After trailing by as much as 19 in the second quarter, head coach
Markeith Brown's squad began to slowly chip away at the deficit until, at the 2:05 mark in the fourth quarter,
Allyah Leusogi-Ape knocked down her only triple of the night to give OC its first lead of the evening, 62-59.
Three more lead changes came in the game's final 120 seconds before TAMIU had the final say with the eventual game-winning shot with 17 seconds left before an insurance free-throw marked the final tally, 66-64.
Oklahoma Christian (5-7, 1-4 LSC) will remain in south Texas for two more days before facing Texas A&M-Kingsville Sunday, Jan. 4 at 1 p.m.