Box Score CORPUS CHRISTI – Freshman Ehab Amin scored a career-high 22 points and Rashawn Thomas added 20 as the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team knocked off Stephen F. Austin, 71-63. It marked the first conference loss for the Lumberjacks in 728 days, a span of 32 straight conference games.
SFA also carried a 19-game overall win streak into the contest, which was the third longest in the nation. The Lumberjacks fell to 20-4 overall and 10-1 in Southland play, while the Islanders improved to 13-11 and 8-4 in league action.
Amin added seven rebounds, three assists and three steals in the victory, while Thomas grabbed eight boards and had a career-best five assists to no turnovers. Thomas Walkup scored 25 points to lead all scorers in a losing effort for the 'Jacks, while Ty Charles added 10.
The Islanders defense was the big story, as it limited the Lumberjacks to 38.2 percent from the field and 25 percent beyond the arc. Jacob Parker, the reigning SLC Player of the Year, scored just two points and was 0-for-7 from the field. The Islanders totaled 36 deflections.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi got off on the right foot, with a Brandon Pye three giving the home squad a 3-0 lead. But Stephen F. Austin bounced back with the next six points to regain the lead, 6-3. From there, the Lumberjacks were able to stretch the lead to six after a jumper by Walkup made it 13-7 at the 15:05 mark. The junior had five of the first six field goals for SFA, hitting his first five attempts.
The Jacks were able to push the lead to 17-11 before a Jordan jumper cut the lead to just four. But shortly thereafter, the senior was carded with his third foul of the game and had to return to the bench. A Jared Johnson three pushed the lead to 20-13 with 9:09 to play.
But Jordan's teammates rallied with him on the sidelines. Thomas started the run with a tip-in, and the Islanders defense buckled down, as SFA missed its next six shots and posted two turnovers. On the offensive end, buckets by Emmanuel Toney and Jelani Currie combined with free throws from Amin and Pye put the Islanders ahead 23-20. A Connor Brooks three stopped that with 4:50 left.
A&M-Corpus Christi bounced right back, though, getting a layup from Amin and four straight free throws to push the lead to six. Joe Kilgore then came through with a huge three just before the shot clock expired to push the lead to 32-23. A free throw from Amin and a layup by Thomas put the lead at a game-high 12 with 22 seconds remaining. Dallas Cameron was able to hit two free throws in the closing seconds to make it a 35-25 lead for the Islanders at the break.
In all, it was a 22-3 run for the Islanders before Cameron's free throws, keyed by A&M-Corpus Christi's defense. SFA went 1-for-10 with six turnovers to allow the Islanders to take the double-digit lead.
The Lumberjacks came right out to start the second half, scoring the first eight points to cut the Islanders lead to 35-33. But the home squad responded, locking the defense in to force the Lumberjacks to go 0-for-5 with five turnovers on the next nine possessions. On the offensive end, the Islanders posted back-to-back three-point plays, one from Thomas and one from Amin, to push the lead back to eight. Two free throws from Amin and a fast-break layup from Toney on a feed from Amin pushed the lead to 12.
A&M-Corpus Christi was able to push the lead to 13 after a back-and-forth with the Lumberjacks to make it 52-39. Walkup took things into his own hands at that juncture, scoring the next six points to cut the lead to just seven, 52-45. The Islanders were slowly able to get the lead back up to 10, 59-49 on a pair of John Jordan free throws with 5:27 left. But the 'Jacks found their long-range game on threes by Demetrious Floyd and Ty Charles to cut the deficit to just four.
Amin came through with a response once more, drilling a three from the right corner, but SFA came right back with a Ty Charles tipin and a Walkup free throw to cut the lead back to four, 63-59, with 1:53 to go. The Islanders broke the press on the ensuing possession and Thomas converted two free throws, but Walkup countered with two shots at the other end to again make it a four-point deficit.
After Thomas again converted at the stripe, the Islanders got the stop they needed, with a Parker three glancing off the back rim. The rebound was knocked around into a scrum on the floor. Amin dived to the floor, gained possession and called time out to preserve the stop. After two free throws from Thomas pushed the lead to six, the Jacks got two opportunities at three pointers, but Bryce Douvier snared the second rebound, and then was fouled. He followed that with two free throws, and from there the two teams traded points to the final whistle.
The Islanders are back in action on Monday, Feb. 16, when they take on New Orleans at the American Bank Center. Game time is set for 7 p.m. on Stripes Court. For tickets, call 361-825-BALL (2255) or visit GoIslanders.com.
