Southland Begins with Bears

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Southland Conference action begins with a stiff road test for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi as the Islanders travel to Central Arkansas for a Thursday afternoon clash with the Bears.
 
The Islanders (3-7) are looking to jumpstart a return to the Southland Conference Championship game with a road win to open league play. The Islanders are 6-5 all-time in Southland openers, including a perfect 5-0 against Central Arkansas.
 
The Bears (6-7) feature one of the most prolific offenses in the country, scoring 82.8 points per game. UCA also features perhaps the best three-point shooter in the country in Jordan Howard, who averages nearly 25 ppg.
 
WHAT TO KNOW
 
Who: Islanders at Central Arkansas
Where: Conway, Ark. | Farris Center
When: Thursday, Dec. 28 | 1 p.m.
Watch: UCAsports.com
Listen: Islanders Digital Network presented by AEP Texas
 
SERIES HISTORY
 
The Islanders hold a 12-1 mark all-time against Central Arkansas. Corpus Christi has captured the past six meetings in the series and is also 6-0 all-time in Conway.
 
Corpus Christi is in Arkansas for the first time since 2015 when the Islanders earned a 77-70 victory. Three of the last four meetings in Conway were decided by exactly seven points.
 
LAST MEETING
 
>> Corpus Christi captured an 88-81 victory over a very similar looking Central Arkansas squad last season in the American Bank Center.
>> Rashawn Thomas scored 27 and Ehab Amin added 21 to lead the Islanders in the victory.
>> Corpus Christi "limited" Jordan Howard to just 16 points that night.
>> The game saw the Islanders erase a 12-point first half deficit and featured 13 lead changes and another 10 ties.
 
ISLANDER INSIGHT
 
>> Joseph Kilgore scored 17 points at Ole Miss to make the senior 10-for-10 in scoring double digits on the season.
>> Perry Francois set a career-high for points with 12 at Ole Miss. It was the second straight game the sophomore had set a personal best.
>> The Islanders are 54-18 over the past four seasons in Southland games.
>> The Farris Center is one of just three road venues the Islanders have visited multiple times and never suffered defeat. Corpus Christi is 6-0 all-time in Conway.
>> It's no secret the Islanders like to get the ball inside as Corpus Christi ranks 351st of 351 teams in 3-pointers attempted this season. When the Islanders do pull the trigger from outside, they hit at a 38 percent clip, putting them in the top third in the country.
 
SCOUTING UCA
 
>> Have you heard of Jordan Howard?
>> The Bear's leader averages 24.8 ppg to rank second in the country to only Trae Young at Oklahoma.
>> Howard shoots nearly 47 percent from the field and hits 43 percent beyond the arc. He ranks fifth in the country in made 3-pointers per game with over four.
>> Outside of Howard, Mathieu Kamba created problems for Corpus last year, scoring 26 in the loss. Kamba averaged 13.6 ppg and leads UCA with 5.7 rpg.
>> Thatch Unruh, Hayden Koval and DeAndre Jones add scoring depth with all willing and capable of shooting the three.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Islanders return home to Corpus Christi Athletic Club Court at the American Bank Center to host Lamar on Saturday. The game is part of a doubleheader with the women and tickets are available for just $1 by calling 825-BALL.