Furious Comeback Attempt Falls Just Short for Islanders at UTEP

EL PASO, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball program cut a 20-point second half deficit down to just two points, but UTEP was able to hang on 72-67 in the Jim Forbes Classic, Presented by Speaking Rock at the Don Haskins Center.
 
The Islanders (4-3) were down 60-40 with 9:33 left when shots finally started falling on a cold night and they trimmed it to 65-63 with 2:17 remaining. Though, UTEP (5-1) was able to make enough plays in the end to hold on.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi nearly overcame a .375 shooting night, including 5-of-24 (.208) from three. It included a .281 mark from the field and .091 from three in the first half.
 
Senior Terrion Murdix netted a game and season-high of 18 points. Senior Jalen Jackson registered a season-high 16 points and five rebounds and drew eight fouls.
 

A sweet and-one for T. Murdix.#ShakasUp // #LutzGo pic.twitter.com/9bc7v4xKsx

— Islanders Men's Basketball (@Islanders_MBB) November 25, 2022

Hitting four long-range shots, senior Trevian Tennyson tallied 14 points. Senior Isaac Mushila recorded a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds.
 
UTEP garnered 12 points apiece from Jamari Sibley and Tae Hardy. The Miners scored 27 points off the bench as they evenly distributed their scoring.
 
Murdix scored the first six points for the Islanders to keep it tied 6-6 at the 16:54 mark. A&M-Corpus Christi trailed 12-10 when the Miners went on a 9-2 spurt to lead 21-12 with 10:04 to go. A three by Tennyson cut it to 27-20 with 3:29 remaining, but UTEP pushed it up to 37-26 at the half.
 
The Miners caught fire early in the second half and the Islanders called timeout trailing 58-38 with 10:56 left.
 
Still trailing 60-40, the Islanders kept fighting and went on a 9-1 spurt, which included seven points by Murdix to cut it to 61-49 with 5:54 remaining. Still down 64-52, Tennyson nailed a three, senior Simeon Fryer scored on the fast break and graduate Ross Williams hit from long range to make it a 64-60 game with 3:38 left.
 
A pull-up jumper by Jackson got it down to 65-63 with 2:17 remaining. After a free throw by UTEP, the Islanders had the ball in a one possession game with 1:49 to go but the Miners were able to force a turnover. Free throws down the stretch made it a five-point final.
 
The Islanders will play another road game Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. when they rematch UTRGV in the South Texas Showdown, presented by NavyArmy Community Credit Union. A&M-Corpus Christi won the first meeting 97-75 at home.
 
NOTES
- A&M-Corpus Christi is now 9-4 in the month of November under head coach Steve Lutz in two seasons.
 
- For the three-game tournament, Murdix led the team in scoring (14.7 ppg) and assists (3.0 apg). Mushila averaged a double-double with 11 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

- The Islanders were coming off a lopsided 98-67 victory over Alcorn. A&M-Corpus Christi never trailed in the game, built a 20-point halftime lead and kept its foot on the gas in the second half. Five Islanders scored in double-figures including Ross Williams who netted 22 points and was 6-of-9 from long range.
 
- It was the first time this year A&M-Corpus Christi used the same starting lineup. The Islanders have used six different starting lineups in seven games.
 
- Murdix was 6-of-12 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free throw line. He surpassed his previous season-high of 14 against CSU Bakersfield. Murdix turned in his 22nd career double-figure scoring game, fifth this season and fourth in a row.
 
- Jackson submitted his eighth career double-digit scoring performance and first this year. He topped his previous season-high of seven points against UTRGV. Jackson was three points shy of his career-high of 19 points against Denver last season.
 
- Mushila, who was named to the Lou Henson National Player of the Year Award Watch List yesterday, etched his 16th career double-double and third this season. It was his 28th career double-figure scoring game and fourth this year. It was his 19th career double-digit rebounding performance and third this year.
 
- Tennyson scored his 25th career double-figure scoring game, fifth this year and fourth in a row. It was the second straight game that he made four three-pointers.
 


Stay Social
For all the latest on Islanders Men's Basketball, be sure to follow the team on Twitter (@Islanders_MBB), Instagram (@IslandersMBB) and "like" the team's official Facebook page (IslandersMBB).
 
#ShakasUp