Islanders Deal Demons A Loss In Natchitoches

NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi presented the makings of a blowout during the first half of Wednesday's contest, before a hot third quarter from hosting Northwestern State would cause the night's affair to come down to the wire. Sophomore Emma Young would lead the Islanders with 18 points on the night, helping the Blue and Green win what would be a closely held 62-56 final in Natchitoches.

Corpus Christi's advantage in the first quarter came from their superior shooting from beyond the arc, as the Islanders hit four of their first eight attempts from deep against an NSU squad holding opponents to an average of 26.5% on the current season.Young would be hit two from deep in the first quarter, while Lajaneira Robinson's fifth three-pointer of the season put the Blue and Green up by eight early.

Taking a 19-11 advantage into the break, the Islanders continued to pour it on during the second, while holding Northwestern State to just three field goals in the quarter. Corpus Christi would cause the Demons to turn the ball over 11 times during the first half while coughing up just six turnovers themselves, proving to be the better of the two in a category that has dealt the Demons success all season. NSU entered the night's contest ranked seventh in the country regarding forced turnovers at 24.15 per game, but were unable to cause more than 15 throughout the entirety of its play against the visiting Islanders.

After falling behind 34-21 before halftime, the Demons came out like a entirely new team to start the third, opening the period on a 16-4 run while taking their first lead if the contest. The Blue and Green hit just two of 10 shots taken during the third, while the NSU three-point shooters would wake up to nail their first pair of the day. Young, Brittany Mbamalu and Tiara Matthews would each have a pair in the third, as Northwestern would take their first lead of the game into the fourth at 42-40.

The Demons would lead by as many as six before the Islanders triggered their comeback in the final eight minutes. A three from Mbamalu, a bucket from Dalesia Booth and a pair of free throws from Young would help spark an 11-6 run and a new lead Corpus Christi, as the latter of the three would go a perfect 10-for-10 from the charity stripe on the day. 

The Islanders ability to knock down free throws became the difference maker down the stretch as Head Coach Royce Chadwick's side was a near perfect 13-for-16 in the final period. With 21 free throws made, the Blue and Green's total from the line fell just a single point short from a season-high they set against Prairie View earlier this year, in what would end as a 62-56 win and the Islanders first SLC victory of 2018.

• Young's 10 free throws made are a new career-high for the sophomore, as she worked to her seventh double-digit performance of the season
• Mbamalu would finish the night with 10 points and nine boards, falling just a single rebound away from her second career double-double
• Booth recorded her 22nd block of the season against the Demons, and extend her streak to three straight games with a rejection
• Mbamalu's 10 put her within 16 points of becoming the eighth Islander in history to reach 1,000 points
• Coach Chadwick's staff has now recorded 69 wins while competing in their sixth year on the Island. They are five victories away from becoming the winningest staff in Corpus Christi history

COMING UP NEXT
The Islanders continue on the road with contests against Sam Houston State and New Orleans on the 10th and 13th respectively. The Blue and Green split a two-game series with the Privateers the previous season but put up a 'W' against UNO in the quarterfinals of the 2017 Southland Conference Championship, while their contest with SHSU ended in a 63-37 rout of the hosting Bearkats. The Islanders' coming matchups, along with all road contests, can be heard via the Islander Digital Network, powered by AEP Texas.

STAY SOCIAL
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