Box Score NATCHITOCHES, La. – Behind a career high 26 points from sophomore Ehab Amin and a single-game Islander record 12 assists from senior Hameed Ali, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team defeated Northwestern State 89-79 Tuesday to stretch its win streak to seven games.
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"To come this far and fight the way we did, I'm really proud of our guys," Head Coach Willis Wilson said. "I thought this was a highly, highly contested game tonight. Our guys showed a lot of grit, a lot of guts."
Five-time Southland Conference Player of the Week Rashawn Thomas has led the Islanders to victory so many times this season. When he has struggled through foul trouble, as was the case Tuesday in Natchitoches, somebody has always stepped up.
This time around it came from a number of Islanders. Amin scored 17 of his career high 26 in the second half, tied a career high with nine rebounds and added three steals in the victory. The sophomore went 8-for-11 from the field, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and 8-of-11 from the charity stripe.
"I feel confident," Amin said. "I feel better every game. Coach has had more confidence in me."
Ali dished out nine assists in the first half alone, tying his career best in the first 20 minutes of play. The point guard finished with 12 assists to top the A&M-Corpus Christi all-time record for single-game helpers. Ali added 13 points for his first career double-double and finished with five steals and five rebounds.
"Hameed was big. Hameed was a warrior," Wilson said. "Obviously 12 assists, five steals, huge. He's as good of a ball defender as there is in this conference. He really showed it tonight. He helped us in so many areas."
Senior Brandon Pye kept the Islanders in front 44-35 in the first half with 15 points. The Mansfield, Texas native finished with 17 on three three-pointers. Sophomore Joe Kilgore chipped in with 12 points, seven rebounds and a career high four blocked shots.
The Islanders (14-3, 5-0) extended their halftime lead to as many as 16 points, at 66-50, with 9:51 to play in the game. The Demons (3-13, 0-6), however, rushed back. Northwestern State used a 10-0 run to cut the Islander lead to just 75-70 and climb right back into the game.
The Demons got their deficit down to four, but the Islanders held on for the 89-79 road victory. A&M-Corpus Christi has now won seven in a row, its longest win streak of the season, and 13 of its last 14 contests.
UP NEXT
A&M-Corpus Christi will return home Saturday. The Islanders host New Orleans at 7 p.m. at the American Bank Center with coverage on the Islanders Digital Network.
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