Amin Ascends as Islanders Win

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Ehab Amin hit the break with four points to his credit. 20 minutes later, the junior guard left the Stripes Court at the American Bank Center with a career-high 30 points as Amin led Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to an 84-68 victory over rival UT Rio Grande Valley in the South Texas Showdown Tuesday night.
 
"This game really had a weird feel," said head coach Willis Wilson. "Credit to our staff for the job they did with scouting. I thought Mark Dannhoff did a nice job preparing us for this game tonight. We anticipated they would play more zone and press us at the same time. It's kind of an unusual combination to see a team press as much as they do and then play the type of zone they do in the half court.
 
"It really tested our patience," continue Wilson. "I was really proud of our guys for staying together, moving the basketball to the open man and taking opportunities as they came."
 
Amin made the most of his opportunites with his 26 second-half points came on 9-of-11 shooting including 2-for-3 beyond the arc and 6-of-7 at the free throw line. The junior's 30 points on the night led all scorers and gave the Islanders (5-0) their third 30-point scorer in the past four games.
 
"I just trusted the process," said Amin of his big night. "Coach told us we had to press their pressure and get into a two-man game on the other side. My teammates did a great job spacing and finding me when they got double teamed. Rashawn, Joe and Cole all got doubled at times in the second half and they made my job a lot easier tonight."

Another and 1 for E! It's a career high 28 for the junior #GoDers pic.twitter.com/sYcMNIugOI

— Islanders MBB (@IslandersMBB) November 30, 2016

A&M-Corpus Christi built an eight-point halftime advantage thanks to stingy defensive play. The Islanders held UTRGV (2-6) to just 34.4-percent from the field in the opening 20 minutes and kept the Vaqueros silent behind the arc in 12 attempts in the half.
 
UTRGV rallied to open the second half, cutting the lead to just two at 40-38 with 15:59 to play. The Blue and Green had the answer, though, as the Islanders rattled off a 22-6 run to rebuild a double-digit advantage. The Vaqueros would close no closer than seven the rest of the way with the Islanders icing the game with a 11-2 run to end it.
 
THOMAS TERRORIZES
 
Rashawn Thomas had a night unlike any other in college basketball. The forward put up 10 points, six rebounds, five assists, five steals and five blocks.
 
"Rashawn had the most unusual stat line," said Wilson. "They guy had 10 points and then has six rebounds, five assists, five steals and five blocks. It was a really, really good all-around game. I was proud of him for keeping his composure and playing through the double teams. They came hard after him with those traps and he was able to find guys and get the ball to the open man."
 
 
The stat line is the first time a player in college basketball has put up 10 points, five boards, five assists, five steals and five blocks in a single game since at least the 2010-11 season according to Sports-Reference.com.
 
Perhaps even more impressive, Thomas only hit one field goal on the night, scoring eight of his 10 points from the free throw line.
 
THEFT ON THE ISLAND
 
The Islanders entered the night ranked ninth in the nation with 10 steals per contest. The Blue and Green will see that average climb after nabbing a dozen steals Tuesday.
 
• Thomas led A&M-Corpus Christi with a career-high five steals.
• Amin added four himself after entering the day ranked fourth in the country.
• Joseph Kilgore, Kareem South and Jake Kocher each recorded a single steal.
 
BALANCED BALL
 
Four different Islanders scored in double digits Tuesday night. Amin's 30 led all participants while Kilgore dropped in 16 for anther strong night against the Vaqueros.
 
Cole Martinez was hot to open the game, scoring all 14 of his points in the first half. After the quick start, the Vaqueros shifted attention to the senior, allowing Amin to go off in the second.
 
Thomas' 10 points rounded out the Islanders in double figures while Jake Kocher returned to action with nine points on the night.
 
CALI COMING
 
The Islanders return to the road as they travel to Cal Poly for a Saturday evening matchup. Following that, the Blue and Green challenge Texas A&M on Monday night.