Story Headlines
- The Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi men's basketball program kicked off the 2018-19 season with an 81-34 victory over Howard Payne University on Wednesday evening at the American Bank Center on the Corpus Christi Athletic Club Court.
- Three Islanders scored in double figures and
Irshaad Hunte recorded his first Islander double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, three coming on the offensive end.
- The Yellow Jackets were held to just 12 first half points and shot just 22 percent (13-57) for the game.
- The Islanders' defense forced 30 turnovers, which directly led to 23 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi points.
Key Islander Statistics
- Texas A&M-Corpus Christi shot 43.3 percent (29-67) for the game.
- The Islanders led by as many as 50 late in the second half.
- A&M-Corpus Christi led 43-12 at halftime and outscored the Yellow Jackets 38-22 in the second half.
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Tre Gray recorded his fifth-career double-digit scoring performance, dropping in 15 points with a pair of three pointers.
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Kareem South was an efficient 5-for-8 from the field and finished with 13 points, four rebounds, two steals and an assist.
- Hunte was 5-of-8 shooting and hit 4-of-5 at the charity stripe. He also had three blocked shots in the game.
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Myles Smith had nine points, four assists, two steals and a rebound in nearly 20 minutes of action.
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Jashawn Talton scored five points in his Islander debut, grabbing four rebounds with two assists.
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Emmanuel Toney had an efficient night, getting the start and playing nearly 20 minutes. He scored four points with four rebounds, two steals and no turnovers.
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Jalon Clark had five points and five rebounds with three coming on the offensive end. The lone freshman on the roster also had a pair of steals in his first collegiate game.
- Also making his first appearance as an Islander,
Jake Babic scored four points and grabbed six rebounds. He also had a pair of blocked shots, an assist and a steal.
- The Islanders held a 36-8 advantage in points in the paint, 13-4 in second chance points and the A&M-Corpus Christi bench outscored HPU's, 46-19.
Key Islander Sequence
- Howard Payne scored the first two points of the game but the Islanders proceeded to score the next 16, rattling off an impressive run over the next three and a half minutes. During the run, the Yellow Jackets went 0-for-6 from the field and committed a pair of turnovers. A&M-Corpus Christi got points from six different players, starting with South's and-one to begin the run. The Islanders were 6-for-8 from the field, led by four points from Smith, three from Talton and a pair each from Toney, Hunte and Babic.
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Up Next
- The Islanders return to the court on Friday, Nov. 9, for a 7 p.m. game at the Dugan Wellness Center against Our Lady of the Lake. The game broadcast will be available on the
Islander Digital Network. After that, UT-Rio Grande Valley visit the American Bank Center on Monday, Nov. 12, in the first installment of the South Texas Showdown, presented by NavyArmy Community Credit Union.
Stay Social
- For all the latest on Islanders Men's Basketball, be sure to follow the team on Twitter (@IslandersMBB), Instagram (@IslandersMBB) and like the team's official Facebook page (IslandersMBB).
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