Box Score KATY, Texas - The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team dropped a heartbreaker
to Houston Baptist in the quarterfinals of the Southland Conference Tournament, 49-48, at the Merrell Center Friday NIght.
The Islanders had a chance to win the game with just seconds remaining but a missed shot by the Islanders leading scorer Kassie Jones fell short, and the offensive put back was blocked to secure the No. 8 seeded Huskies second win in as many days.
Coming in with nothing to lose, the Huskies shot the ball uncharacteristically well in the second half at 43 percent (12-28). A&M-Corpus Christi was held in check throughout the game, shooting just 30 percent (18-61).
HBU's scrappy defense put pressure on the Islanders and made it a much more physical game than the team is used to. Players diving on the floor for loose balls were a norm in this contest though.
A&M-Corpus Christi's offense went stagnate in the second half, during a nine-minute period when Houston Baptist went on a 14-0 run to take an eight-point lead.
Finally the Islanders answered as sophomore Camesha Davis banked in a three-pointer to put the Islanders on the board with just minutes remaining.
The Islanders would rally in the final minutes, going on a 10-2 run of their own, but the team could never get over the hump.
When the Islanders needed something on the offensive end, it seemed like sophomore Kassie Jones was always coming up with the play. The Lufkin, Texas native finished the game with a team-high 13 points, including a turnaround jumper to end the half for the Islanders. She also found her teammates, dishing the ball to the open person for four assists.
The team showed its rust during the first few minutes but quickly weathered the storm put forth by HBU. The Islanders put together an 11-4 run to take control 13-8 nine minutes in. The Huskies would not deter though, scraping their way back into the game and tying it at 15 apiece with 5:40 left.
Houston Baptist's Taylor Jefferson hit one of her two first half three-pointers with 2:13 left in the opening frame, but the Islanders answered with six-straight points to quiet the HBU contingency, taking a 25-20 lead into the locker room.
The Huskies were able to outscore AMCC off of offensive boards 12-6.
Senior Olivia Fouty played her final game for the Islanders, scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds in the loss. Though she played just one season at the Island University, she made an immediate impact on the team from the beginning. A vocal leader both on and off the court, the Toledo, Ohio native cemented her name in the record book in several categories.
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