Islanders Advance To SLC Quarterfinals

KATY, Texas - After falling to McNeese just a week prior, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi came out on top in the game that mattered, routing the No. 8 Cowgirls by 23 in the first round of the Southland Conference Championship 75-52.

McNeese's 4-2 lead in the opening minute of this Thursday's matchup would be the last time the Cowgirls held a lead in the first round of the SLC Championship, as the Islanders controlled from tip to finish against this year's eighth seed. Dae Dae Evans and Dalesia Booth each scored six points in the opening quarter against McNeese, with the latter pulling down a trio of rebounds.

With things knotted up at 18 apiece, the Blue and Green outscored McNeese 19-6 in the second quarter to take a 37-24 lead into the halftime break. Mbamalu went off in the second period, hitting a pair of three-pointers and scoring another 10 points before the break. The Islander senior finished the first half with a game-high 14, missing just a single shot in the game's opening 20 minutes.

The Blue and Green extended their offensive onslaught with 24 points in the third quarter, while holding the Cowgirls to just 10 points. The Islanders outrebounded their opponents 31-16 in the second half on the way to pulling down 17 offensive boards. By the end of regulation Corpus Christi had doubled up on the Cowgirls in the paint, outscoring McNeese in the post 36-18, while recording 24 points on 18 forced turnovers.

• This is the second year in a row the Islanders have advanced beyond the first round, after reaching the semifinals of the Southland Conference Championship in 2017
• Mbamalu, Evans, Kre'Ana Henry and Emma Young each tallied double digit performances, moving the Blue and Green to 7-0 this year when four or more players score 10-plus
• Corpus Christi held one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country to just 12 offensive boards this Thursday, beating the Cowgirls in the rebounding column 50-36
• Five Islanders cleaned the boards five or more times, while nine players pulled down at least one rebound over the course of the contest
• Brttany Mbamalu finished the contest with a game-high 22 points, hitting five of nine shots from three-point range
• Emma Young and Kre'Ana Henry both came within just a few rebounds of double-doubles on the day. Young scored 10 and eight with a pair of assists, while Henry accumulated 16 and nine

COMING UP NEXT
The Islanders will face No. 4 Nicholls this Friday at 11 AM in the second round of the SLC Championship, after beating the Colonels earlier this year 76-55 inside of Dugan. Four players tallied double digits in that previous contest, with Mbamalu recording a career-high 29 points in that contest. 

All of the Islanders' approaching postseason contests will all be live streamed on ESPN Watch, while Corpus Christi fans can access their team's live radio feed via the Islanders Digital Network, powered by AEP Texas.

STAY SOCIAL
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