NATCHITOCHES, La. – A huge first half for the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball program was too much for Northwestern State to overcome Saturday as the Islanders won 72-55 in Prather Coliseum.
A&M-Corpus Christi (12-7, 4-1 SLC) came out of the gates on fire and built a 19-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and 38-19 at the half. The Islanders kept it going with a 28-point lead in the third when Northwestern State (9-7, 2-3 SLC) went on a run, but the hole was way too deep.
It was a wire-to-wire win for the Islanders, who never let their lead dip into single-figures after the first quarter.
Senior
Makinna Serrata turned in a big night with 25 points. She was 8-of-12 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line.
Also with a big outing was junior
Alecia Westbrook, the reigning SLC Player of the Week winner. She poured in 21 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards.
All nine student-athletes that checked in for the Islanders scored, grabbed a rebound and tallied an assist.
The Islanders had a significant advantage on the glass where they outrebounded the Lady Demons 40-27. It led to a 17-6 edge in second chance points as A&M-Corpus Christi pulled down 18 offensive rebounds.
NWST was paced by Candice Parramore's 18 points. Jordan Todd also reached double-figures with 11 points.
Senior
Diamond Wraggs started off the scoring with a lay-up and the Islanders increased the lead to 9-4 after a put-back by Westbrook at the 4:39 mark. A jumper by sophomore
Nabaweeyah McGill made it 15-4, and Serrata hit back-to-back jumpers to end the quarter to put A&M-Corpus Christi up 19-6.
Serrata kept it going on the first possession of the second with a three to make it 22-6. A long-range shot by sophomore
Ariah Powell upped it to 30-10 with 6:42 remaining. Sophomore
Paige Allen converted a put-back lay-up to lead 38-17 with 1:03 to go and the Islanders carried a 38-19 advantage at the half.
A&M-Corpus Christi led 46-23 with 7:14 remaining in the third after a lay-up by Westbrook. With 3:00 left, Westbrook drained two free throws for the largest lead of the day 56-28. The Lady Demons made a run towards the end of the quarter, but the Islanders were still in control 57-37 heading into the fourth.
NWST put up its biggest challenge in the fourth and opened the quarter on an 11-2 run to trim the deficit down to 59-48 at the 6:19 mark. A&M-Corpus Christi answered with a 7-0 run to put it away for good as a three by Serrata got it back up to 66-48 with 4:33 left.
The Islanders will be back on campus Thursday when they host New Orleans in a 5 p.m. tip at the Dugan Wellness Center.
NOTES
- The Islanders improved to 13-5 all-time against Northwestern State and have won six consecutive meetings. A&M-Corpus Christi is 6-2 all-time against NWST on the road.
- Head coach
Royce Chadwick is up to 204 career SLC victories and is chasing James Smith's mark of 210 wins at Northwestern State from 1987-04 to become the winningest coach in league history. Chadwick's career SLC record is 204-98 including 13 wins at Sam Houston, 111 at Stephen F. Austin and 80 at A&M-Corpus Christi.
- A&M-Corpus Christi is 4-1 in conference for the third time in the last four years.
- The Islanders improved to 11-0 when leading at half and 11-0 when they outrebound the opposition.
- A&M-Corpus Christi entered the night leading the SLC in assists (14.9 apg) and rebounding margin (+5.2), and recorded 15 steals and a +13 rebounding margin in the contest.
- Serrata flirted with her career-high of 28 points against Pacific on Nov. 22, 2021. It was the fourth time this year she scored at least 20 points in a game. Serrata submitted her 23rd career double-figure scoring game, 12th this season and fifth in the last six games.
- Westbrook continued her streak of grabbing at least eight rebounds in every game this year. She notched her 31st career double-figure scoring game and 14th this year. Her four steals matched a career-high.
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