Tough Time In the Big Easy

NEW ORLEANS, La. - Looking for their third straight Southland win, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was unable to break an aggressive New Orleans defense in a 66-49 loss this Saturday.

Points were hard to come by in the opening quarter as the two sides combined for a total of 19. In her fourth start of the season, forward Kre'Ana Henry would open up the game's scoring after collecting a loose ball at the top of the paint and stepping inside for the easy two. The Islanders would hit just three of 15 shots in the opening ten minutes, but the Blue and Green's impressive defense would hold the Privateers to just 13.3% shooting from the field.

With an 11-8 lead in hand the Islanders' offense would again stall at the beginning of the term, as hosting UNO proceeded to go on a 13-3 run in the beginning six minutes of the second period. Henry and starting shooting guard Brittany Mbamalu would each tally four points over that 10 minute span, as New Orleans' hot scoring touch would give the home team a 29-22 advantage at the break. 

Turnovers would be the pressure point for the Islanders in the second half, as the Privateers' five forced would lead to seven points for the hosting side. Mbamalu's hot hand kept the Blue and Green within striking distance throughout the third, as the redshirt-senior buried two of her four attempts from range, to bring her total to 15 on the night. 

The Islanders pulled back within two points of the Privateers in the final four minutes of the period, after falling behind by as many as 10, however UNO's 10 straight points to close out the third would be enough to create a 48-36 difference.

Uri Jolivette and the Islanders' defense remained physical through the last 10 minutes, with the junior recording a pair of rejections and a steal in the fourth quarter. The Blue and Green were able to hold UNO to just five field goals through the final period of play, but UNO's press would be enough to hold the Islanders to just 27.9% shooting on the day and a 66-49 loss.

• Dalesia Booth recorded a pair of blocks in the first quarter against the Privateers, bringing her total to 26 on the season. The 24 rejections the sophomore brought into Saturday's game ranked first the SLC overall and are more than 13 entire teams have accrued this season
• Jolivette's eight rebounds were a team-high, as the junior finished with six points as well
• Jolivette tied a career-high with two rejections against the Privateers, the same number she posted against UNO in the semifinals of last year's Southland Conference Championships
• Starting point guard Dae Dae Evans tied a career-high with three steals on the afternoon, while finishing with 12 points. Her third double-digit performance of the season
• Mbamalu's 15 on the day gives the senior 1,022 for her career, 67 away from the seventh-most in Islander history

COMING UP NEXT
The Islanders return home after spending the previous three games on the road, to face fifth ranked Nicholls inside the Dugan Wellness Center. Corpus Christi dropped the Colonels in their last meeting 65-60, while going 7-7 against their Southland foes all-time.

The Islanders' coming matchups, along with all road contests, can be heard via the Islander Digital Network, powered by AEP Texas.

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