Islanders Look to Extend Winning Streak against McNeese, HBU

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Riding a four-game winning streak, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball program will close out a three game home stand when it hosts McNeese at 5 p.m. Thursday and HBU at 1 p.m. Saturday at the American Bank Center.
 
Thursday will be a Busters Propane Pink Game.
 
All four the wins during the streak for A&M-Corpus Christi (9-6, 1-0 SLC) have come against SLC opponents, but only one counted toward its conference record. The Islanders played three non-conference games including one against HBU and two vs. UIW after the SLC Preseason Tipoff was canceled on the women's side.
 
The Islanders are coming off a conference win over UIW after dominating the glass 45-28. Junior Alecia Westbrook tallied a double-double of 14 points and 12 rebounds.
 
Westbrook ranks 14th in the country in rebounds per game with 11.2. She averages a double-double with 12.5 points per game. Westbrook, who has won an SLC Player of the Week award, has grabbed at least eight rebounds in every game and has scored in double-figures in 11 of the last 12 contests. She has six double-doubles on the season and 14 in her career.
 
Also averaging in double-figures is senior Makinna Serrata with 12.3 points per game. She scored in double-digits in both non-conference wins over UIW. Serrata poured in a career-high 28 points to lead the team to an 81-61 victory over Pacific. It was her second 20-plus scoring game of the season along with a game vs. UTRGV at home.
 
Sophomore Violeta Verano leads the league in assists with 4.5 per game. She posted a career game at UIW with career-highs of 22 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals in the win at UIW. She was 5-of-8 from three-point range. Verano has dished out at least a pair of assists in every game this year.
 
Sophomore Nabaweeyah McGill leads the SLC in blocks with 1.6 per game. In the home win against UIW at the Dugan Wellness Center, she swatted a career-high seven blocks. Prior to that, she registered a career-high 18 points in the win over HBU and was 8-of-9 from the floor.
 
McNeese (5-9, 0-1 SLC) and HBU (5-7, 0-1 SLC) played each other to begin league action and the Huskies won 82-74 on the road. HBU was predicted to finish second in the SLC Preseason Poll and the Cowgirls were picked sixth.
 
McNeese leads the league in scoring with 71.6 points per game, while HBU is first in blocks (4.2 bpg) and three-point defense (.256).
 
Both games can be watched with a subscription on ESPN+ with Doug Kesterson on the calls.
 
NOTES
- The Islanders are 10-8 all-time against McNeese and 7-2 at home. A&M-Corpus Christi has won the last three meetings but the two teams did not play last season. The Islanders have not lost at home to the Cowgirls since 2013-14.
 
- The Islanders are 12-7 all-time against HBU and 7-3 at home. A&M-Corpus Christi won the first meeting this year 61-56 in a non-conference game at the Dugan Wellness Center.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi is a perfect 8-0 at home this year where they've outscored the opposition 585-394. The Islanders are 209-144 all-time at home and 84-72 in the American Bank Center.
 
- Head coach Royce Chadwick is two wins away from 700 career wins. He's also 10 SLC victories away from becoming the winningest coach in an SLC career. He's chasing James Smith's mark of 339 wins at Northwestern State from 1987-04. Chadwick has 328 wins including 31 from SHSU, 173 from SFA and 124 as an Islander.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi ranks 13th in the nation in free throw attempts (346) and 22nd in steals per game (11.7). In the Southland Conference, the Islanders rank first in rebounding margin (+5.7), assists (15.53 apg) and steals (11.7 spg).
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi is 8-0 when leading at half and 8-0 when it outrebounds the opposition.
 
- There are only four current student-athletes in the entire Southland Conference that have won an SLC championship, and all four are on A&M-Corpus Christi: Westbrook, Serrata, Hayle Campbell and Olivia Dowden.
 
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