Islanders Cruise Past Celts In Dugan

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi halted its losing streak at just a single game this Wednesday, with an outright thrashing of visiting opponent St. Thomas. With a 72-42 advantage over the Celts, the Islanders earn their third victory by a margin of 30 or more this season, on the way to receiving 41 points from the Blue and Green bench.

While they would finish the night by a large stretch, the Islanders allowed the visiting side to earn as much as a four-point cushion in the first quarter before turning things around. The Blue and Green began challenging the Celts' ball-handlers the full length of the court in the latter half of the opening stanza however, establishing a full court press that would change the tide in their favor for the rest of the night. 

The Islanders' 14 forced turnovers in the first 20 minutes set a top-mark for any half Corpus Christi has participated in this season, scoring 14 points off of an impressive nine steals. Six Islander players would record a theft in the opening half, led by Dalesia Booth, Kre'Ana Henry and Laderica Paul with a pair each. Booth held the hot hand in that opening half, hitting five of her six shots from the floor, followed closely by an eight-point mark from Paul. In just her second game as an Islander, Paul put up an impressive 14 points to end the night, along with a team-high three steals, setting a pair of personal bests since arriving on the Island this offseason. The Islanders' defense would limit the Celts to just 11 points in the second quarter overall, in comparison to a season-high 24 points from the Blue and Green offense on the other end, to secure a 38-27 lead heading into the half.

With the contest still up for grabs, the Islanders continued their aggressive play both on the defensive end and on the boards, pulling down 15 rebounds in the third quarter to STU's seven. The visiting side managed just a single field goal in the third term while getting outscored 19-2, the second time Head Coach Chadwick's side has held an opponent to a two-spot in a single quarter this year alone. Booth would add another six points to her total to finish the night with a game-high 17, while Tiara Matthews would pull down her fourth rebound of the afternoon.

Matthews was a force on both ends of the floor, setting career-bests in both rebounds (10) and points (14) for the first double-double of the sophomore's career. The forward from Sugar Land, Texas made a habit of scoring second-chance points against the Celts over the course of the contest, cleaning the glass for four offensive rebounds and helping to close out the night's festivities with eight points and six rebounds in the fourth quarter alone. 

Carrying a stout 59-29 lead into the final period, freshmen Giana Wright and K'neshia Bush both received an increase in minutes in the latter stages, with the former finishing the night with an eight and three statline, accompanied by a pair of assists. The Islanders' bench outscored the starting five for just the second time this season in the 30-point rout, pulling Coach Chadwick and his staff within six victories of becoming the winningest coaching staff in program history.

• The Islanders' 19 assists on the night tie the season-high they set against Texas Lutheran to open the season, with seniors Brittany Mbamalu and Kre'Ana Henry each collecting four helpers
• With 14 points apiece, Paul and Matthews have the largest combined point total of any duo coming off the Corpus Christi bench in the current campaign
• Wednesday's win marks the fourth time the Islanders have broken the 70-point barrier this season, with three of those performances taking place in the Dugan Wellness Center. They're averaging 66.8 points per game when playing at home in the DWC
• The Islanders' 11 steals mark the third time this year they've stolen the ball from their opponent more than 10 times, while the 22 turnovers they created trail only the 29 they recorded against Texas Lutheran
• Nine Blue and Green players recorded points against the Celts, pouring in 33 made field goals on the night combined
• Between the third quarter and the start of the fourth, Corpus Christi created a 23-2 run against STU over the span of 21 minutes

COMING UP NEXT
The Islanders have a short break before facing their first Southland competition of the season, against Central Arkansas on December 28th. The Blue and Green is 6-8 against the Sugar Bears all-time, looking for revenge on the team that put an end to their 2016-17 campaign in the semifinals of the SLC Tournament.

Islander fans can catch Corpus Christi's game against UCA, along with all other home contests, on the Islander Digital Network presented by AEP Texas.

STAY SOCIAL
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