Box Score ELON, N.C. – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team won the first of two games in the Battle 4 Atlantis Mainland Sub-Regional at Elon on Thanksgiving Day, defeating Furman by a score of 73-69.
RELATED: Box Score (xml) | Box Score (pdf) | Photos | Interviews | Highlights
"It was a gritty game," Head Coach Willis Wilson said. "It was one of those games that you knew from the very start that both teams were going to grind. There was really intense defense. I thought we stepped it up. We had some periods where we were really, really good."
Both teams were cold on offense to start though, as neither the Islanders nor the Paladins could score for the first three minutes and 50 seconds of the game. Joe Kilgore ended the drought with a breakaway slam before Pye knocked down a triple to give A&M-Corpus Christi an early 5-0 lead.
After falling behind 20-17 late in the first half, the Islanders used an 8-0 spurt to take a 26-20 lead with under two minutes to play. Pye got things started during the spurt with his second three-pointer of the game, while free throws from Ehab Amin and Bryce Douvier closed out the run.
The Islanders went into the locker room up 29-27 with Douvier, Pye, Hameed Ali and Rashawn Thomas all scoring six points through the first 20 minutes.
A&M-Corpus Christi came out and scored the first eight points of the second half to take a 37-30 advantage early in the period. Pye knocked down his third from long distance and Jelani Currie scored five straight points during the stretch.
The Paladins worked their way back and eventually took a 54-51 lead with 9:10 to play in the game. That was when Pye took over. The senior scored eight of the Islanders' next 10 points in a 10-2 run that put A&M-Corpus Christi back in front 61-56 with 6:35 on the clock.
Furman got within one point, at 67-66 with 59 seconds remaining, but the Islanders closed it out strong as Douvier and Amin went 4-for-4 from the free throw line in the final 30 seconds and Pye broke free for a wide open layup late in the contest.
PYE LEADS ISLANDERS WITH 19 POINTS
• Brandon Pye was on fire from long distance, knocking down five three-pointers on just seven attempts from downtown.
• He finished with a season high 19 points to lead the Islanders in scoring for the second straight game.
• Pye is now tied for fifth all-time at A&M-Corpus Christi with 120 career three-pointers.
FOUL TROUBLE HAMPERS THE BLUE AND GREEN
Both Rashawn Thomas and Bryce Douvier fought through foul trouble all day, with Thomas eventually fouling out late in the second half. Wilson continued to sub both big men in and out of the game in order to maximize their efforts, but it was the contributions from others stepping up that made the difference.
Jelani Currie scored all 10 of his points in the second half, as Douvier and Thomas played sparingly. The senior guard finished 4-of-6 from the floor and 1-of-1 from beyond the arc in the victory.
"We hit some adversity in terms of foul trouble and we found some guys who stepped up big for us. It was an overall team effort. Both Bryce and Rashawn, with foul trouble, kept their heads in the game the entire time."
- Willis Wilson
INSIDE THE ISLANDERS
• The Islanders held their opponent to 40 percent shooting or lower for the third straight game as Furman shot just 35.0 percent from the floor.
• Despite foul trouble, both Thomas and Douvier finished in double figures, scoring 12 and 11, respectively.
• Hameed Ali again controlled the game from the point guard position. The senior had eight points and six assists and has had at least four assists in each of the last four outings.
BACK-TO-BACK GAMEDAYS
The Islanders get right back into the action on Friday. A&M-Corpus Christi will play host Elon at 7 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT. The Phoenix defeated Mount St. Mary's 79-74 in the first game of the day on Thursday.
STAY SOCIAL
To keep up with everything Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Men's Basketball, follow the Islanders on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
