Box Score CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Using momentum from an exciting win on Thursday, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team took to the court at the American Bank Center on Saturday night for a dominating 73-59 win over New Orleans.
The Islanders (5-13, 2-5) never relinquished the lead after the 4:44 mark of the first quarter. Brittany Mbamalu's 18 points paced the blue and green's season-high 47.9-percent shooting from the field.
RELATED: Box Score | Box Score PDF | Photos | Video
"I thought the momentum carried over immensely from the Southeastern game on Thursday," head coach Royce Chadwick said after the game. "I think when you lose that it starts to consume you. When you win and you hit that first shot, you start to feel like that next one is going in. When you win a game, you start to think that you will go out and win that next game.
THE GAME
Camesha Davis had one of the best starts to a game in her career in the first quarter. The Desoto native swatted two Privateer shots, picked off a pass and hit the opening jumper of the game in one possession. However, foul trouble would limit the junior's contribution to six points, five rebounds and a career-high four blocks.
Going to the charity stripe was the theme in the second quarter, as the Islanders scored seven of a season-high 19 points in the second from free throws, led by Shola Adebayo with 3-of-4 performance.
Coming out of the halftime break with a 35-24 lead, the Islanders were outrebounded by New Orleans (5-11, 2-5), but the Privateers were only able to cut into the Islanders' lead by one going into the fourth quarter.
New Orleans opened the final frame with a four-point run. Chadwick called timeout at the 7:07 mark to stop his team from falling into a similar fourth-quarter lull like previous contests.
The 3-ball came to life for A&M-Corpus Christi, with Kre'Ana Henry, Brittany Mbamalu and Adebayo connecting from downtown on successive possessions. The Islanders made several defensive stands in the final minutes to eliminate any chance that New Orleans could climb back into the game.
SHOLA STEPS UP
• For the second consecutive game, Adebayo finished with a season-high 15 points.
• After missing several games at the start of the season, the Oklahoma City native is now fifth on the team in scoring with 6.1 points per game.
• The redshirt senior leads the team with 26 steals on the season. Over the last three games, she has notched 10 steals.
Chadwick on Adebayo's performance in the fourth quarter…
"We gave her some flack in the huddle. She decided to come out and do something about it. She grabbed a couple of defensive rebounds after knocking down an open look and provided the spark we needed from a senior."
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
• A&M-Corpus Christi matched its season-high with 17 steals against the Privateers.
• The Islanders held New Orleans to 37.7-percent shooting from the field, which was the lowest percentage for an opponent since UTRGV on Dec. 1.
• The Islanders set a new season high in blocks with six, which is the most since the blue and green recorded seven rejections against Abilene Christian on Feb. 18, 2015.
TWO IN A ROW
The blue and green are now 2-5 in the Southland Conference after winning the last two games. Adebayo and Mbamalu have combined for 56 of the 142 points scored by the blue and green over that span. A&M-Corpus Christi has converted 39 combined turnovers from Southeastern Louisiana and New Orleans into 43 points.
NOTABLE STATS
• The 17 steals by A&M-Corpus Christi marked the seventh game with 10 or more takeaways.
• Against New Orleans, the Islanders recorded their fourth game this year that 10 players picked up at least one point.
• After scoring just eight points over the last two games, Brittany Mbamalu's 3-point shooting was on point against the Privateers, connecting on 4-of-5 long balls.
• The Privateers defeated the blue and green on the glass, 37-31, on Saturday night. The Islanders have lost the rebounding battle in three of their five wins this season.
STAY SOCIAL
For all the latest information surrounding Islanders women's basketball, follow the team on Twitter (@IslandersWBB) and like the team on Facebook (Islanders Women's Basketball). Download the Islanders Front Row App for your mobile device by going to GoIslanders.com/FrontRow.
- Go Ders -
