LAS
VEGAS - Demond
Watt (23 points, 15 rebounds) and Justin
Reynolds (10 points, 13 rebounds) each posted double-doubles as
the Texas A&M - Corpus Christi men's basketball team took a
69-65 victory over Bethune-Cookman at the iBN Las Vegas
Invitational. The Wildcats (2-3) rallied to bring the game within
one score, but Garland
Judkins hit four key free throws down the stretch to ice the
contest for the Islanders (2-4), who will play at 4 p.m. CT/2 p.m.
PT on Saturday.
Watt and
Reynolds were monsters on the boards, helping the team to a 47-23
advantage in rebounding in the game. Judkins finished with 11
points to give the Islanders three players in double figures. CJ
Reed added with 23 points, 19 after halftime, to lead the Wildcats.
Kevin Dukes buried a season-high four three-pointers as well.
The Wildcats got
off to a hot start, riding an abundance of free throws three key
triples from Dukes to build a 26-16 lead at the 8:45 mark.
Defensively, the Islanders kept Reed, who entered the day averaging
20.3 points per game, off the scoreboard until the 7:14 mark of the
first half, thanks mostly to a strong defensive performance from Horace
Bond and Garland
Judkins.
But Texas
A&M - Corpus Christi was sparked by a three-ball from Terence
Jones at the 7:31 mark that sent them on an 18-4 run to regain
the lead headed into the locker room. Bethune-Cookman was only able
to muster four free throws the rest of the way, as their last field
goal came at the 8:45 mark. During the run, Watt had nine points
and the Islanders held BCU to 0-for-6 with four turnovers. The
Islanders had a 28-15 edge in rebounds in the first half, including
10 boards for Watt and nine for Reynolds.
Bethune came out
of the half and scored the first four points to tie the game, but
the Islanders responded with a 16-4 rally to push the score to a
game-high 50-38. Judkins buried a key triple and added a layup
immediately after for the Islanders and six different players
scored in the run.
Reed refused to
be stifled the entire game, though, and came alive with 10 straight
BCU points late in the second half. He put the Wildcats on an 8-2
run on his own, with the only two Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
points coming from Watt at the free-throw line. Bethune continued
to surge in the final few minutes, trimming the deficit to just
three points at 63-60 with 2:09 to play.
The two teams
traded baskets, with Watt hitting a layup and Reed countering with
a jumper from the left elbow. After Judkins hit a pair of free
throws, Reed came down and drilled a three in transition to make it
67-65, the closest margin since the opening minutes of the half.
But Judkins buried two more shots at the line and Reed's last ditch
trey fell short as the Islanders came away with the win.
The Islanders
will conclude the Invitational on Saturday, when they take on
Valparaiso. Live video of the game will be available at http://www.ibnsports.com/lvi.aspx.
