UTRGV Escapes with Showdown Win

EDINBURG, Texas – As the first meeting did, Wednesday night's South Texas Showdown presented by NavyArmy Community Credit Union came down to the wire. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi had a look to win the game with 3.5 seconds to play, but Joseph Kilgore's three was off the mark as UTRGV escaped with an 82-78 victory.
 
Kilgore scored a season-high 25 points on 11-of-17 shooting and grabbed seven boards to lead the Islanders (2-6). Fellow senior Emmanuel Toney added a career-high 15 points on 6-of-9 from the floor.

It was a good basketball game," said coach Willis Wilson. "We had a couple of moments at the start of the first half and end of the first half that were critical moments we can't get back. We did a lot of good things and put ourselves in a position to pull this thing out, but we were unable to come through in a few key situations.
 
"We have some things that if we clean them up, we'll really improve as a basketball team," Wilson continued. "I'm proud of these guys though. They really battled again tonight on the road. We're getting closer and closer, now we just have to figure out how we can finish them out."
 
After a slow start and a 16-8 hole, the Islanders reeled off a 14-0 run to take a six-point edge. Emmanuel Toney was pivotal in the run and finished the half with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc.
 
The Islanders would lead throughout the middle 10 minutes of the half, but UTRGV used a run of its own to take a 45-37 lead at the half. The Vaqueros outscored the Blue and Green 16-7 over the final four minutes.
 
The second half saw the Islanders off to a blistering start, hitting 15-of-21 from the field to start the half. The 71 percent shooting helped the Blue and Green erase the eight-point halftime deficit and gain a lead as late as 6:12 to play.
 
However, UTRGV had the answer down the stretch, limiting the Islanders to just 1-of-8 to close the half, including the late three from Kilgore that would have given Corpus Christi an 81-80 edge with 3.5 seconds to play. Moe McDonald would ice the Vaquero victory with a pair of free throws to give him 11 points on the night.
 
MEET THE MAN
 
Senior Emmanuel Toney continues to excel in his final season and produced a career night in the loss. Toney set career highs with 15 points, six made field goals and three made threes.
 
Toney's 15 points were four more than his previous best, set just weeks ago at UTSA.
 
KILGORE KRUSHING
 
Along with Toney, Joe Kilgore produced a season-best performance with his 25 points. Kilgore made 11 shots from the field to match a career-high. Kilgore also pulled down seven rebounds and added four assists in the loss.
 
THE NUMBERS
 
>> The Islanders outshot UTRGV 53 percent to 48 percent. The Vaqueros hit nine threes to balance the scoring.
>> Corpus Christi left a pivotal six points at the free throw line, finishing 11-of-17 at the stripe.
>> The Islanders shot a season-best 53 percent from the field.
>> The Blue and Green finished the night with a 35-31 edge on the glass. Kilgore and South led the effort with seven boards apiece.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Islanders return home following the exam break for a December 15 contest against St. Mary's in the Dugan Wellness Center. The matchup is the final home game before the holiday break as the Islanders next return to Corpus Christi Athletic Club Court at the American Bank Center on December 30.