UCA Escapes Corpus Christi With a Win

Box Score CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi held Central Arkansas to its lowest point total in a Southland Conference matchup in almost a calendar year this Thursday, falling to the Sugar Bears 58-50 inside of Dugan Wellness Center. Corpus Christi joins power-five programs Clemson, Baylor and Tennessee as one of five teams to hold UCA to under 60 in the 2017-18 campaign, outblocking the visiting side five to one.

Sophomore Dalesia Booth drove the Islanders to a first quarter lead after hitting a perfect five for five from the floor and totaling 12 points. Booth nearly outscored the Bears single-handedly, as the Islanders' defense limited UCA to just 13 points on 17 shots from the field. Dae Dae Evans would post the only other Blue and Green points of the opening quarter with a layup in the final three minutes, as Corpus Christi would carry a 14-13 advantage after 10.

Booth would add another bucket in the second quarter to finish the half with 14 points, while guard Lajaneira Robinson knocked down her fourth three-pointer of the year. UCA's advantage would come in the paint however, as the Sugar Bears outscored the Islanders 8-2 in the post. With nine turnovers in the opening 20 minutes, Corpus Christi was unable to hold onto their lead heading into the break, down 28-24. 

Central Arkansas would get hot from beyond the arc during the third quarter, knocking down three of their seven buckets from deep in the first 10 minutes out of the break. The Islanders would remain aggressive throughout the second half however, drawing 11 personal fouls off a team that had recorded the 10th-fewest fouls in the country headed into the afternoon's affair.

The Islanders had their biggest quarter of the afternoon in the final stanza, thanks in part to a pair of threes from senior guard Brittany Mbamalu. The Houston native hit a pair of treys from NBA range to put Corpus Christi within 10 points of the Sugar Bears, while another five points from Evans and Booth brought the game to as close as six with 19 seconds remaining.

The Bears free throw shooting down the stretch was just enough to hold off the hosting Blue and Green, as the visiting side hit seven of just 10 shots from the charity stripe on the day. Despite getting outboarded, the Islanders remained even with UCA at 20 paint points apiece, as the Bears' superior 40 percent shooting in the second half would be the Islanders ultimate undoing in the 58-50 final.

• Booth finished with 21 points and seven rebounds on the day, team-highs in both categories. The sophomore continues to have the hot hand, hitting 27-of-39 over her past four games (.692)
• Booth also recorded a pair of blocks against UCA, giving a her a team-best of 20 for the season
• Evans' 11 points finished second on the afternoon for Corpus Christi, after earning her third straight start at point guard
• Mbamalu's seven points put her within 28 of the 1000-point mark, she's currently on track to reach that milestone at Sam Houston State next week

COMING UP NEXT
After playing the preseason No. 2 ranked team in the Southland, the Islanders look on to No.1, with another SLC matchup against the Lamar Cardinals inside of American Bank Center. The Blue and Green's 5 p.m. Saturday tipoff will be its first appearance inside the ABC this year, and will be followed by the men's contest with the Cards shortly after conclusion. The weekend's matchup, along with any other home Corpus Christi contests, can be followed on the Islanders Digital Network, powered by AEP Texas.

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