Box Score 
SAN ANTONIO – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team turned in a stellar defensive second half to post a 61-49 victory over Incarnate Word on Saturday at the McDermott Center. Kassie Jones led all players with 19 points and Olivia Fouty added 13 points and seven boards in the win for the Islanders (13-13, 9-6 Southland).
A&M-Corpus Christi held the Cardinals (5-20, 2-12) to 9-for-25 shooting after halftime, forcing them into 12 second-half turnovers in the process. The Islanders posted three blocks and four steals after the break. Aricka Adams led the Cardinals with 16 points, while Shanise Brooks had 10 in a losing effort.
The visitors jumped out to an early advantage on the strength of a trio of baskets inside to take a 6-2 lead. The Cardinals erased that with consecutive baskets to tie the game at 6-6, but Fouty drilled a three and then Shea Weaver added a jumper to put the Islanders ahead 11-6.
UIW then buckled down defensively, shutting down the Islanders to embark on a 9-0 run, capped off by an Alyssa Ward three-point play to make it 15-11 Cardinals at the 9:04 mark. Jones then snapped the run with a tough jumper in traffic, sending the visitors on a 6-2 run to tie the score at 17-17. After a UIW basket, the Islanders scored six in a row – four from Jones and the other two from Jennifer Ramirez – to gain a 23-19 advantage.
But the Cardinals countered with a jumper and then their second three-point play of the half, this one from Haley Frias, to regain the lead 24-23. The Islanders responded, though, with a layup from Camesha Davis and a second from Fouty to take a 27-24 advantage in the final minute of the half. Adams responded with a jumper, and then on the final possession of the half, she garnered a steal and took it all the way to the rack for a layup to send Incarnate Word to the locker room ahead 28-27.
Adams carried her momentum into the second half, getting a quick two to make it a 6-0 run on her own and a 30-27 lead for the home squad. The teams then traded points over the next several possessions, as the home squad pushed its advantage to 34-31 at the 17:39 mark.
At that juncture, the visitors locked down on the defensive end and converted on offense to embark on an 11-0 run that resulted in a 42-34 lead. Fouty and Ashanti Plummer started the rally with layups, while Jones added three points and Davis added a jumper to make it a six-point lead. On the defensive end, the Islanders held UIW to 0-for-9 from the field with four turnovers. Three of the Cardinals shots were blocked by A&M-Corpus Christi as well.
UIW was able to rally to cut the lead to 44-41 on a Brooks layup, but the Islanders mounted yet another run that was rooted in their defense. This one, a 9-2 streak, saw A&M-Corpus Christi force three UIW turns and up the offensive pace, getting baskets from Fouty, Ramirez, Jones and Davis. Davis capped off the run with a triple from the left corner that made it 55-43. From there, the Islanders were able to counter every Cardinal punch and led by at least 11 until the final whistle.
The Islanders will now have a week off until they return to the floor, for the annual Homecoming game on Saturday, Feb. 28. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will square off with Sam Houston State at noon at the American Bank Center as part of the Homecoming festivities.
For all the latest on Islanders Women's Basketball, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@IslandersWBB) and like the team's official Facebook page (IslandersWBB). Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the Islanders Front Row App at goislanders.com/frontrow.
