A&M-Corpus Christi Shuts Down Paul Quinn in First Game of Islander Holiday Invitational

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – In the first of two games in two days of the Islander Holiday Invitational, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball program used a stout defensive effort to top Paul Quinn 59-35 on Tuesday at the Dugan Wellness Center.
 
The 35 points allowed were the third-fewest in A&M-Corpus Christi (3-6) history. The Islanders limited the Tigers (0-1) to a .264 (14-53) shooting mark from the floor, including 0-for-10 from long-range.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi pulled away in the second half. It led by nine at the break when the lead catapulted up to 27 in the final five minutes. The Islanders shot 15-of-29 (.517) in the second half to create separation.
 
Sophomore Jalen White led the offense with 18 points and was 6-of-8 from the floor. A career day came from junior Simeon Fryer as he netted a career-high 17 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists.
 
Also in double-figures was senior Perry Francois with 12 points. Fellow senior Myles Smith matched a career-high with eight rebounds and grabbed a career-high five steals.
 
The Tigers were led by Spencer McElway's 15 points. Anei Anei ended with 12 points, eight rebounds and five steals.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi led 9-4 early after a three-pointer by Smith at the 16:20 mark. The game really slowed down the rest of the first half as the Tigers ran the shot clock down on nearly every possession and the team's bundled it with tough defense.
 
An old-fashion three-point play by Fryer put the Islanders up 14-9 with 6:02 left. A put-back by Francois increased the lead to 19-9, and the Islanders carried a 20-11 edge at the break.
 
The first four minutes of the second half started slow again until A&M-Corpus Christi broke through with a 14-2 run. A lay-up by White sprung the advantage up to 34-17 with 13:43 to go. A pair of three-pointers by senior Nolan Bertain extended it to 46-25 with 7:40 remaining.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi's largest lead of the day came on a big dunk by Francois, which made it a 54-27 game with 4:31 left.
 
The two teams will rematch tomorrow at 5 p.m. at the Dugan Wellness Center. The game can be watched live for free on the Islanders Digital Network with Steven King on the call.
 
NOTES
- It was the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

- The Islanders didn't give up a three-pointer in a game for the first time since Feb. 1, 2014 when Lamar went 0-for-4.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi improved to 201-95 all-time at home.
 
- The Islanders were eying the school record of fewest points allowed, which came in a 58-27 win over Abilene Christian on March 7, 2015. Most recently, they gave up just 34 points in an 81-34 victory over Howard Payne on Nov. 7, 2018.
 
- The Islanders entered the game ranked second in the conference in three-point percentage defense, holding teams to a .287 clip from long-range. That number will improve after Paul Quinn went 0-for-10.
 
- Fryer's previous career-high was 10 points at No. 17 Texas Tech. It was his second double-figure scoring game of the year. Fryer was 6-of-11 from the floor.
 
- White posted his third double-digit scoring performance of the season and second in a row after recording a career-high 24 points against Our Lady of the Lake.
 
- Francois, who was tabbed an Honorable Mention for SLC Player of the Week on Monday, tallied his 11th career double-figure scoring game, sixth this year and fifth in the last six games. He entered the game ranked fourth in the SLC in blocks with 1.4 per outing and rejected three in the game.
 
- Bertain matched a career-high with seven rebounds. It was the fourth game in a row where he drilled a trio of three-pointers.
 
- Head coach Willis Wilson has won 141 games overall since arriving at The Island University and is the program's career leader in coaching victories.

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