Welcome Back Wednesday

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team returns to the friendly confines of the Stripes Court at the American Bank Center on Wednesday to tip off the Holiday Inn North Padre Island Challenge. The Islanders (1-2) will face Montana Tech at 5:30 p.m., before Islanders Men's Basketball faces Jarvis Christian at 7:30 p.m.
 
The matchup will be the first meeting between the two programs in history. A&M-Corpus Christi will compete in the Challenge against Montana Tech, Panhandle State (Nov. 30) and Schreiner (Dec. 6).
 
The Islanders are 11-2 against non-NCAA Division I opponents in the program's history. A&M-Corpus Christi has a 3-1 mark in the Royce Chadwick era.
 
Against non-NCAA Division I opponents, the Islanders have won my average margin of 32.8 points per game, including a school-record 107 points against Huston-Tillotson on Nov. 22 in a 107-44 victory.
 
Doug Kesterson will have the call on the Islanders Digital Network, starting with the NavyArmy Community Credit Union Pregame Show.
 
GAME 3 REWIND
>> The Islanders rekindled an old rivalry from their early years in the Southland Conference at Texas State, but miscues and fouls sent the Blue and Green to a 57-50 loss on the road.
>> Camesha Davis led the way for the Islanders with a game-high 10 rebounds in addition to a team-high 13 points for her first double-double of the year.
>> After a slow start to the year from 3-point range, the Islanders sank five long balls against the Bobcats, including a pair from Kassie Jones and Brianna Jackson.
>> A&M-Corpus Christi got off to its best start of the season against Texas State last Friday night, jumping out to a 14-7 lead.
>> Down the stretch, the fatigue of playing three games in seven days caught up with the Islanders. The Blue and Green committed 10 of its 22 fouls of the night in the fourth quarter, allowing the Bobcats to score 11 points at the charity stripe.
 
SWIPER KEEP SWIPING    
>> The Islanders have 30 steals throughout the first three games of the year, lead by six from Ashanti Plummer.
>> The 30 takeaways for the Blue and Green marks the seventh time in program history that the Islanders have 30 or more steals in the first three games of the season, and last achieved that mark at the start of the 2013-14 season.
>> The Islanders are ranked 92nd in the nation in steals and sixth in the Southland Conference.
 
MAKING THE FREEBIES    
>> Kassie Jones has started her senior campaign with a perfect percentage at the free throw line. The Lufkin native has sunk all 10 of her opportunities this season.
>> Heading into Wednesday night, Jones is ranked first in the nation with a perfect 1.000. She is tied with 30 other players across the NCAA.
>> Jones' charity-stripe prowess is nothing new for the Islanders. Over her career on the Island, she ranks second on the all-time free throw percentage list with an .811 clip.
 
DAVIS DOUBLE TROUBLE
>> Camesha Davis pulled down her seventh career double-double on Friday night. The DeSoto native now ranks eighth in Islanders' history, tied with Jillianne Duffey (2003-07).
>> Davis' four offensive rebounds against Texas State moved her to 201 career boards on the offensive end. She became just the eighth player in school history to achieve that mark and is six boards away from taking over eighth place from Jenesis Shaw (2003-07).
>> In addition, her 5.7 career rebounds per game tally ranks seventh on the all-time list.
 
GOING YOUNG         
>> The Islanders will rely heavily on its freshmen throughout the year. Dae Dae Evans, Rayanna Carter, Tiara Matthews, Emma Young and Dalesia Booth have combined to average 19.3 points per game.
>> Chadwick marked a first in program history with three freshmen in the starting five for two of the opening three games of the year.
 
TEAM NOTES           
>> Despite a .643 clip at the charity stripe this season, the Islanders have three players who have been perfect for the Blue and Green. Kassie Jones, Brianna Jackson and Dalesia Booth have connected on all of their free throws.
>> Senior leadership has been a focal point for the Islanders this year, as the younger players adjust to the collegiate game. The senior class of Camesha Davis, Ashanti Plummer and Kassie Jones led the way by scoring 45.6-percent of the points this year (26.6 ppg).
>> A&M-Corpus Christi has an all-time record of 8-8 in the first game back at home following the first road trip of the year.
>> Even with a shortened post rotation with the season-ending injury to Kre'Ana Henry, the Islanders have outscored opponents 66-35 in the paint.
 
PLAYER NOTES
>> Brianna Jackson got in on the scoring from long range against the Bobcats. Jackson knocked down a pair from downtown.
>> Ashanti Plummer is off to the best start in her career. The redshirt-senior is averaging a team-high 9.7 points per game, powered by her career-high 17 points in the season opener against Toledo.
>> Dalesia Booth, along with Dae Dae Evans, has started all three games this year. She is averaging 4.3 points per game in 21.3 minutes.
 
SCOUTING THE OREDIGGERS      
>> The Islanders will get Montana Tech on the back end of a back-to-back on Wednesday. The Orediggers face Our Lady of the Lake on Tuesday night in San Antonio, before making the trip to the Island on Wednesday.
>> Prior to their contest against the Saint on Tuesday, the Orediggers are 6-3 on the year. After a promising 4-0 start, Montana Tech has struggled in recent games dropping three of their last four.
>> Martha Dembek has led the way for the Orediggers with 16.7 points per game and a 6.3 average on the glass.
>> Six players are averaging 10 points or more per game in an offense that has scored more than 70 points on six occasions this year.
>> Montana Tech has had success moving the ball around this season, with assists on 62.3-percent of its baskets this year.
 
>> An updated set of game notes with stats from Montana Tech's game against Our Lady of the Lake will be available on Wednesday.

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