CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – With 20 seconds remaining, Shay Weaver drained a 3-pointer to secure a 60-55 victory for the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team, which made head coach Royce Chadwick the 55th coach in women's college basketball history to reach 600 career wins.
Weaver led all scorers in the game with 20 points; while the Islanders started three freshmen en route to their first win of the season on Wednesday night.
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"It was a great team win for the program tonight," Chadwick said after the game. "We fell behind in the first half and did some things that were not part of who were are. Shooting 1-of-8 from the free-throw line cannot happen, but the team turned it around in the second half.
"I was really proud of how our players handled the adversity. Shay Weaver knocked down some big shots for us down the stretch. Maddisen Turner and Camesha Davis got big offensive rebounds late in the fourth quarter that helped us get the win.
"Defensively, we started switching screens, and it took our freshmen a little bit to start communicating. We played a zone for a bit, before producing some quality stops in the final minutes. This was a huge team win for our program."
THE GAME
Chadwick ensured that his team did not have a slow start like the two previous games. The Islanders jumped out to a 12-9 lead at the end of the first quarter behind five points by Weaver. Rice managed to battle back at halftime to take a 28-25 lead, but a 3-pointer from Brittany Mbamalu kept the game close.
In the third quarter, juniors Kassie Jones and Davis combined for seven points in the final three minutes to pull the blue and green within two points heading into the final period.
The Islanders fell behind by eight points early in the fourth, but a Weaver 3-pointer started a 14-4 run to finish the game. The go-ahead basket came from beyond the arc by the Arlington native with 20 seconds remaining on the clock. Jennifer Ramirez drove into the lane and kicked out to Weaver at the top of the key, her third and final assist.
SHUTDOWN DEFENSE
- Defense had been a major focus of the coaching staff this week at practice, which translated to the game on Wednesday.
- The Islanders forced 18 Rice turnovers on the night. Ramirez and Mbamalu led the team with two steals apiece, which matched Mbamalu's career high
- In the final two minutes of the game, A&M-Corpus Christi limited the Owls to just two points on five offensive possessions.
BOUNCING BACK
- After a difficult weekend shooting at the Islanders Classic, the blue and green flipped the script by shooting 42.6-percent (23-of-54) from the field and 42.9-percent (9-of-21) from beyond the arc against Rice.
- Bench scoring was a major key for the Islanders with a 40-26 advantage over the visitors.
NOTABLE PERFORMANCES
- Davis and Turner battled on the glass all night. Davis collected nine rebounds, three offensive, while Turner grabbed a game-high four boards out of her career-high eight rebounds.
- Mbamalu moved into seventh all-time in 3-pointers made with her four makes from downtown, passing Lindsay Van Dorn. She is now eight makes away from sixth place.
- The freshmen handled a heavy workload well against the Owls. Turner played 32 minutes in her first career start, while Mykayla Flores picked up four assists in 18 minutes of work.
THE SPECIAL 600
Chadwick's win etched the Floydada native into the record books, joining the ranks of Pat Summit of Tennessee, Tara VanDerveer from Stanford and Geno Auriemma at UConn.
The 32-year veteran of the coaching ranks began his career in 1984 at Panhandle State. Two years with the Aggies produced 39 victories, before leading Sam Houston State to 47 wins over three seasons. The fourth-year Islanders coach went to Howard College to win 148 games over a five-year period.
His stops at Stephen F. Austin (173) and Marshall (161) covered a timespan between 1994 and 2012. Since taking the helm of the A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team, he has won 39 games to reach the milestone.
In his career, Chadwick has made 11 postseason appearances, including seven NCAA tournament berths. He was named the Southland Conference Coach of the Year in 2014, after winning the award in 1997 at SFA, which marked the longest time between winning the award.
"It's very humbling to reach this milestone," Chadwick said. "We have players some amazing players over the years. We have seen unbelievable talent and leadership, and I have been fortunate to stand in the coach's box and watch. All the players have just been amazing and words sometime cannot express my gratitude for all of their hard work and effort."
WHAT'S NEXT
The Islanders will head to the American Bank Center next Monday for a doubleheader of A&M-Corpus Christi basketball. At 5 p.m., the women will play Western New Mexico, before the men take the court against St. Edwards.
For all the latest information surrounding Islanders women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter (@IslandersWBB) and like the team on Facebook (Islanders Women's Basketball). Download the Islanders Front Row App for your mobile device by going to GoIslanders.com/FrontRow.
