Comeback Falls Short

SAN MARCOS, Texas – As in the past two games, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi dug a big first half hole and the Islanders second-half rally ran out of time as Texas State held off the Blue and Green for the 66-53 victory in Strahan Coliseum.
 
The Islanders (1-5) were led by Joseph Kilgore who finished the evening with 14 points. Rookie Tre Gray hit 3-of-4 from beyond the arc to finish with a career-best 11 points while Sean Rhea dropped another 10 to give the Blue and Green three in double figures.
 
Alex Peacock scored 21 to lead Texas State (4-3) and finished as the only Bobcat in double digits. Peacock narrowly missed a triple double, adding nine assists and nine rebounds.
 
Corpus Christi jumped out to a 9-5 edge to open the game but then went ice cold the remainder of the first half. Texas State meanwhile found its stroke behind Peacock, launching a 24-4 run to build a commanding lead. When the half was said and done, Texas State held a 33-16 edge.
 
As the Islanders have all season long, they clawed their way back into the game in the second half. After the Bobcats grew the lead to 20, the largest of the game, Corpus Christi fired back with a 9-0 run keyed by a three from Gray.
 
Gray's range sparked the Islanders in the second half as the freshman scored eight of his 11 points in the back half of the game. Kilgore also caught fire as the veteran dropped nine of his 14 points in the second half.
 
Another triple, this one from Kilgore with 6:52 to play cut the deficit to eight at 54-46, but that was as close as the Islanders would come. Texas State finished the game shooting 50 percent from the field and outscoring the Islanders 15-8 at the free throw line.
 
THE NUMBERS
 
>> Corpus Christi forced 22 turnovers in the game but turned those into just 16 points.
>> Emmanuel Toney made his first start since March 23, 2015, finishing with four points and a team-high four assists.
>> Texas State held a 40-25 edge on the glass and turned it into an 18-8 advantage in second chance points.
 
HEADED HOME
 
The Islanders return home to the Dugan Wellness Center Friday night for a 7 p.m. tip against Texas Lutheran. It's one of two home games in the Dugan before the Blue and Green returns to Corpus Christi Athletic Club Court at the American Bank Center on December 30.