BRONCS, LADY BRONCS OPEN HOME SCHEDULE AGAINST DUSTDEVILS
Contact: Mike Bond, UTPA Assistant Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

EDINBURG, TEXAS -With their opening games behind them, The University of Texas-Pan American's basketball teams will open their home seasons when they host Texas A&M-International in the 2003-04 home opener Tuesday evening. The women will face the Dustdevils at 5:00 p.m. and the men will face TAMIU at 7:30 p.m.

The Broncs have an impressive .750 winning percentage (38-12) at the UTPA Fieldhouse during Head Coach Bob Hoffman's four-year tenure. They will take an 0-1 record into Tuesday night's game after losing their opener to Southern Methodist, 69-59, at the South Padre Island Convention Centre Saturday night.

Texas A&M-International enters the game with a 1-3 record. The Dustdevils, a first-year team lost at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday evening, 94-75.

"We are excited about opening at home," said Hoffman. "We have two games this week and we need to get out and play hard and play well."

The Lady Broncs are 2-0, which is just the second time in school history that they have started the season by winning their first two games. Texas-Pan American won a tournament for the first time last weekend, defeating Air Force and Dayton to win the championship at the Radisson Inn Classic in Colorado Springs. The Dustdevils, a first-year team, are 0-4.

"We're excited to be playing at home," said UTPA Head Coach DeAnn Craft. "We had a great weekend, and we hope to continue our momentum."

Texas-Pan American will return to action in another doubleheader at the UTPA Fieldhouse Saturday evening. The Lady Broncs will host St. Edward's at 5:00 p.m. while the Broncs will face Texas-Arlington at 7:30 p.m.

MBB-10-04112403