LAKE
CHARLES, La. – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
women's basketball team trailed early but used a 19-7 run to end
the first half and a 12-6 run to open the second half to down
McNeese State 66-54 at Burton Coliseum in its first-ever Southland
Conference contest.
The Islanders
(6-7, 1-0 SLC) started slowly while the Cowgirls (2-12, 0-1) were
hot from behind the arc early hitting three three-point baskets in
the first seven minutes to lead 13-5 just over seven minutes into
the contest minutes into the game. They hit 6-of-8 threes in the
half.
"We started the
game off kind slow," said senior guard Nicole Duncan, who led the
way for the Islanders with 17 points. "It was pretty intense, but
we picked it up defensively.
"Before today we
had no feeling what it was like to play a conference game and the
importance of each one. Now we know more."
Courtnee' Hollins
hit two of the first three three-point baskets as the hosts used a
10-2 run to break a 3-3 tie. Brittany Boone had three treys in the
half.
McNeese State,
which hit 11-of-22 shots in the first half including 6-of-8 from
three-point, led by nine at 23-14 before the Islanders charged
back. The nine-point deficit was the largest of the half for the
Islanders.
"Defense won the
game for us," said head coach Robert Robinson. "We also hit our
free throws down the stretch when we needed to even thought it hurt
us earlier in the game. This was a tremendous win."
Added Duncan, "We
were concerned with how they were hitting their shots early. We
made an effort as a team to tighten up and contest their
shots."
A&M-Corpus
Christi turned up the pressure on both sides of the court the final
nine minutes of the half resulting in a 19-7 run to close out the
half despite going 0-for-7 from the foul line in the first half.
The Islanders forced 14 turnovers in the opening half including
seven steals with three apiece by the back-court duo Nicole Duncan
and Kirbria Lewis.
Brittany Fowler
began the run with a three basket to make it a six-point game,
23-17.
After a jumper by
the Cowgirl's Erin Jones with 8:05 left, the Islanders scored 12
consecutive points in the paint. All five of the Islanders original
starters scored in the run with Elisa Beagle scoring four, to give
A&M-Corpus Christi a 29-25 lead with 3:33 remaining.
Shonice Sprouse's
with 2:14 left in the half pulled the Cowgirls to within a point,
29-28, but Lewis and Beagle each scored on lay-ups. The Islanders
outscored the hosts 22-4 in the paint in the first half with Duncan
accounting with for the other with a pair of threes. Duncan had 10
first-half points to lead all scorers.
Lewis' steal 30
seconds into the second half led to a Duffey lay-up on the other
end of the court. Following a laying by Reeshimah Davis, Beagle,
who finished with 14 points, scored in the paint, while Duncan hit
her third three of the game in six tries. Duncan's trey pushed the
Islander lead to 10 with over 17 minutes remaining in the game.
"We started slow,
but we found our niche after 10 minutes," said Beagle, who with 14
points and 10 rebounds had her fourth double-double in five games.
"I was proud of how the team picked up its play defensively as a
whole.
"I think we were a
bit excited and overconfident at first, but we started to work
together as a unit. The first win is always the hardest and it was
more important to get it on the road."
"I have really
been trying to step up my play underneath to try and make a name
for myself in our first conference season," continued Beagle. "I
still have some things I need to work on and I am not satisfied. I
would like to better my free-throw shooting percentage because when
I do I will be able to score 20 points a game.
The hosts twice
pulled to within four points midway through the second half –
the last at 50-46 with 8:45 remaining on a jumper by Boone, who led
McNeese State with 14 points.
The Islanders,
however would limit the Cowgirls to eight points the rest of the
way while going 10-of-13 from the foul line. Ten of the Islanders
final 14 points came from the charity stripe.
Lewis joined the
Duncan and Beagle in double digits with 12 points and finished with
five steals, five assists, three rebounds and was not charged with
a turnover. Lewis is now four points from becoming the third
Islander with 1,000 points.
A&M-Corpus
Christi finished the game with 34 rebounds as Shaw added eight to
go with Beagle's 10. The Islanders finished with 14 turnovers while
the hosts committed 23. The Islanders finished with 11 steals.
Davis joined Boone
in double digits with 10 points and led the hosts with eight
boards. The Cowgirls were 1-of-6 from the three-point line in the
second half.
"Every conference
game is going to be intense and tough. No one is going to give it
to us," said Robinson. "I think the girls realize more of what it
is going to take to be successful in conference play after this
game."
The Islanders
return home this Thursday for their first chance to host a
Southland game when Northwestern State visits Stripes Court at 7
p.m. to begin a three-game homestand. A&M-Corpus Christi, who
is 4-0 at home this season, will host fellow league newcomer
Central Arkansas next Saturday at noon before closing out the
homestand with its third game in five days when long-time foe
Texas-Pan American visits on Monday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m.
