Agression Keys Win Over Roadrunners

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A three-headed attack of Rashawn Thomas, Ehab Amin and Kareem South steered Texas A&M-Corpus Christi past UTSA 73-69, on Stripes Court inside the American Bank Center.
 
"Ever since I've been here, the games against UTSA have been nailbiters," said head coach Willis Wilson. "Regardless of either team's record, it just seems like they've been tight games for some reason.  They got off to a good start and we got behind a couple of baskets early. Our guys did a really good job defensively to give us some momentum toward the end of the second half and our execution was good."
 
It was Thomas who powered the attack early, going to work down low and putting up a season-high 25 points. 16 of those came in the first half with half of those coming from the free throw stripe.
 
When Thomas went to the bench with four fouls at the 18-minute mark in the second half, it was Amin who came alive to carry the load. The guard scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half, slicing through the lane for a handful of buckets.
 
South played off Amin and attacked the rim as well, scoring nine points in the second half on 3-of-5 shooting. The redshirt freshman added another three points at the line as the Islanders knocked down 20 free throws on the day.
 
Nick Billingsley led the Roadrunners with 13 points. Byron Frohnen finished with 12 to give UTSA two in double figures.
 
GOING LOW
 
From the outset, it was clear the Blue and Green was looking to get inside against the Roadrunners (3-8). The Islanders (7-2) scored 40 of their 73 points inside the paint.
 
The dynamic attack of post presence and aggressive drives offset a 1-10 night from beyond the arc for the Islanders.
 
STOLEN POINTS
 
The Islanders recorded seven steals and forced 15 UTSA turnovers. The aggression paid off on the other end as the Blue and Green turned those turnovers into 23 points.
 
"I thought the steals from our defense were big," said Wilson, "especially since we didn't rebound the ball great today."
 
ISLANDERS INSIGHT
 
• Colin Hale hit his first bucket as an Islander. The freshman banked home a three-pointer as the shot clock expired in the second half.
• Ehab Amin grabbed eight rebounds and set a new season-best on the glass.
• Rashawn Thomas recorded his fourth 20-plus point game of the season.
 
ICING THE WIN
 
Joe Kilgore provided an emphatic finish, heading to the rim and throwing home a thunderous two-handed slam with 23 seconds to play. The dunk gave the Islanders a three-point cushion as the Blue and Green added a late free throw to make the final 73-69.
 
WILSON'S 300th
 
Sunday's win marked number 300 in head coach Willis Wilson's career. Wilson is in his 22nd year as a head coach. He's the third man to eclipse that plateau as an Islander.
 
TOUGH ROAD
 
The Islanders now head out for a pair of road games, traveling to No. 20 Saint Mary's on Tuesday night and Oklahoma State on Thursday. Both games can be heard on the Islanders Digital Network.