Islanders Pummel Panthers In Neutral Site Win

EDINBURG, Texas - Although the final score didn't reflect it, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi all but routed the PVAMU Panthers this Saturday by a count of 72-62. Outrebounding Prairie View by a margin of 56-31, the Islanders were dominate on the glass and led by as many as 21 midway through the third quarter on their way to their third win of the young season.

The Islanders set the tone early on in the contest, opening up with a 6-0 lead in the opening 90 seconds. Starting guard Brittany Mbamalu grabbed the first bucket of the afternoon with her team-leading 18th three-pointer of the season, followed by a three point play from Emma Young on the next possession. Mbamalu would score 16 points in the first half alone, as Corpus Christi's all-time three-point record holder hit three-of-four from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes.

"Well our thought process coming in today was to be aggressive on both sides of the floor." said Head Coach Royce Chadwick in a postgame interview. "We have to take it at them, you have to get to the free throw line, and on the defensive end, make them drive the baseline, then have everyone rotate and help."

The Islanders tough play earned the side 11 free throw opportunities in the first 10 minutes, after averaging just over 13 per game in their previous three contests. Sophomore Dalesia Booth continued her streak of five straight appearances with a block, as she and Dae Dae Evans combined for a pair of rejections in the game's opening period. 

Taking an eight-point lead into the second, the Blue and Green continued to keep a hold on their advantage while hitting 53.8% from the floor in the second. Mbamalu and fellow senior Kre'Ana Henry both went a perfect two-for-two in the quarter, with the latter finishing the half with four rebounds and a pair of steals. Up 43-32 at the break, the Islanders would take their largest halftime lead of the season since sitting 21 ahead of the Texas Lutheran Bulldogs in the season opener, and would further improve upon that margin in the third. 

Young would heat up during the third quarter, hitting all four of her shots taken and cleaning the glass for four rebounds and a second-chance bucket. Her layup with 5:02 remaining in the period would give the Islanders their largest lead of the day at 61-40, as the Blue and Green avoided trailing for the entirety of Saturday's affair. The Panthers would slim Corpus Christi's lead down the stretch with a run of eight points to finish out the third, but a combined seven seven points in the paint from Henry and Uri Jolivette would be enough to hold the PVAMU surge in the fourth and end things at 72-62. 

• Kre'Ana Henry would finish the afternoon with 12 points and nine rebounds, just a single board from tying a career-high and earning the first double-double of her Islander career
• Emma Young would post 11 points, six rebounds and seven assists, setting a career-high in helpers and going a perfect one-for-one from the charity stripe
• The Islanders finished with a season-high 27 free throw attempts on Saturday, knocking down 22 for the first time since playing McNeese in February of last season
• With 18 offensive boards, the Blue and Green earned 13 second-chance points 
• Brittany Mbamalu came within a single point of her third 20-point performance this year, posting 19 and six against the Panthers. With four threes made, Mbamalu's 21 field goals from range not only lead her team, but put her in a tie for sixth-most in the country
• Corpus Christi would earn a 56-31 advantage in the rebounding department overall, their highest total for this season

COMING UP NEXT
The Islanders get right back to work on Sunday, finishing up their weekend at the UTRGV-hosted Feast of Sharing Tournament against Florida A&M. The Islanders will be facing the Rattlers for the first time in their history, along with playing its first contest against any current members of the MEAC.

Coach Chadwick on FAMU:
"They're very similar [to PVAMU]. They're going to trap a little bit more and they're a little more aggressive out on the perimeter. So we have to be prepared to go and attack, and stay in attack mode the whole game."

STAY SOCIAL
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