A&M-Corpus Christi Heads to El Paso for Jim Forbes Classic Presented by Speaking Rock

EL PASO, Texas – Spending its Thanksgiving Break on the road, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball program will play three games in four days at the Jim Forbes Classic, Presented by Speaking Rock at the Don Haskins Center, hosted by UTEP.
 
The Islanders (3-1) will face CSU Bakersfield (2-1) on Tuesday at 5 p.m. (CT), Alcorn State (2-1) on Wednesday at 5 p.m. (CT) and UTEP (2-1) at 3 p.m. (CT) Friday.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi will look to win its non-conference tournament for the second year in a row after winning the UTSA MTE last season over IUPUI, Denver and UTSA.
 
The Islanders are 8-2 in the month of November under head coach Steve Lutz in two seasons. Lutz's only November losses are at Texas A&M last season and Mississippi State.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi is coming off a 97-75 win over UTRGV despite the Vaqueros shooting .650 from the field and .455 from three-point range. Ross Williams came off the bench to score 24 points and was 6-of-11 from three.
 
The Islanders rank first in the Southland Conference in scoring (76.8 ppg), scoring defense (66.5 ppg), free throw percentage (.766), defensing rebounding (26.8 drpg), rebounding margin (+4.0) and assists (17.25 apg). Individually, senior Isaac Mushila is first in rebounding (11.8 rpg), Williams is first in free throw percentage (.909), junior Terrion Murdix is first in assists (4.8) and sophomore Connor Kern is first in blocks (1.0 bpg).
 
On the year, Mushila averages a double-double with 15.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game. It comes after he nearly averaged a double-double with 13.2 points and 9.4 rebounds per game last season, including 13.4 points and 10.7 rebounds in conference games.
 
CSUB has wins this year over Idaho and San Diego Christian. Its only loss was at Utah 72-44. The Roadrunners have played in a lot of low scoring games this year and hold the opposition to just 50.0 points per game. Kaleb Higgins scores a team-high 11.7 points per outing.
 
Alcorn, which won the SWAC regular season title last year, has victories over Wichita State and Stephen F. Austin. Its only loss was at Ole Miss 73-58. The Braves shoot .404 from three-point range as a team and are led by Dominic Brewton's 13.0 points per game.
 
UTEP opened the season by falling to No. 12 Texas 72-57 but has responded with wins over New Mexico State and Sul Ross State. Otis Frazier III paces the squad with 12.7 points per outing.
 
Tuesday will be the first-ever meeting between A&M-Corpus Christi and CSU Bakersfield. Wednesday will be the fourth meeting against Alcorn with the Islanders leading the all-time series 3-0; the last meeting was Jan. 29, 2004 at Alcorn, 84-73. A&M-Corpus Christi is 1-2 all-time against UTEP but the two haven't played since 2007-08.
 
The games against CSUB and Alcorn will not be streamed. The game against UTEP will be on CUSAtv.

NOTES
- The Islanders are 7-2 in neutral court games under Lutz, which included winning the conference tournament last year. The program is 28-23 all-time on a neutral court.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi is 3-0 this year when it outrebounds the opposition and 3-0 when it has a positive turnover margin.
 
- The victory over Trinity was a celebratory night as the program honored the team with its 2022 Southland Conference Tournament championship rings. The Islanders also raised both the 2022 SLC Tournament championship banner and NCAA Tournament banner in the American Bank Center.
 
- The first SLC Player of the Week award of the season went to Mushila. He averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds in games against Mississippi State and UTSA.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi continues to receive votes in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major Top-25 Poll. They are the only team from the Southland Conference represented.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi is one of three teams in the nation to bring back all five starters and its top-five leading scorers from last season along with Dayton and TCU. The Islanders returned 85 percent of their scoring and 88 percent of their rebounding.
 
- The Islanders were picked to win the league in the 2022 SLC Preseason Poll. They earned four Preseason All-Conference selections including three on the First-Team.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi was one of nine Division I schools in the country to not have a scholarship student-athlete enter the transfer portal during or after 2021-22.
 
- The men's basketball program is only in its 24th season and began in 1999-00. Prior to 2006-07, the Islanders competed as an NCAA Division I Independent.
 
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