Islanders Hunt History at No. 19/20 Saint Mary's

Game #10: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (7-2) at 19/20 Saint Mary's (8-1)
Date: Tuesday, December 20
Location: McKeon Pavilion • 7 p.m. PST
Broadcast: Islanders Digital Network

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Fresh off Sunday's win against UTSA, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi journeys to California for the second time this season to face No. 19/20 Saint Mary's Tuesday night.
 
The Islanders and Gaels have met just once before with the Blue and Green dropping a thriller back in 2005. Saint Mary's hit the game-winning floater with just one second left as the Islanders fell 69-67.
 
HUNTING HISTORY
• The Islanders travel to No. 19/20 Saint Mary's Tuesday night in search of the program's first-ever win over a nationally-ranked foe.
• A&M-Corpus Christi has faced an AP Top 25 opponent 10 times in school history.

TURNOVER BATTLE
• Tuesday pits strength versus strength as the Islanders and Gaels meet for the second time.
• Saint Mary's leads the country in taking care of the ball, committing just 90 turnovers this season.
•Meanwhile, the Islanders rank ninth in the country in steals at just shy of 10 per game.
 
SCOUTING THE GAELS
 
Saint Mary's enters Tuesday's showdown as one of the top mid-majors in the country. The Gaels are ranked in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Poll and will be the 11th ranked team the Islanders have faced in program history.
 
Center Jock Landale leads the Gaels, averaging 18 points and nine rebounds per game. Calvin Hermanson adds another dozen and provides a threat from beyond the arc, hitting 47-percent of his three point attempts.
 
Guards Joe Rahon and Emmett Naar both rank in the top 20 nationally in assists per game. Rahon is 12th at 6.6 while Naar sits 19th at 6.1 dimes per contest.
 
One of the most efficient teams in the country, the Gaels rank 11th in field goal percentage at .505 on the year. Saint Mary's also ranks amongst the nation's leaders defensively, holding opponents to an average of 60 points per game.
 
ANOTHER TOUGH CHALLENGE
 
Following Tuesday night's clash in California, the Islanders travel to Oklahoma State where one of the country's best scoring offenses awaits in the Cowboys.
 
The Islanders and Cowboys will square off Thursday at noon and fans in Corpus Christi can take in the game at the official watch party at Fuzzy's Taco Shop on Staples Street.