COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team will face another challenge early in the season as the team remains on the road to take on Texas A&M Thursday night at 7 p.m. CT at Reed Arena.
It will be the seventh meeting between the Islanders (1-0) and the Aggies (0-0) and first since the 2021-22 season opener. A&M-Corpus Christi will be going for its first ever win over Texas A&M.
The Islanders opened the season Monday night against Texas Tech and lost 69-49. The Islanders led after the first quarter 16-9 and was ahead by as many as 10 points. Sophomore
Maya Ellis made her career-high of three three-pointers in the game for the team-high 11 points.
Senior
Alecia Westbrook was a bucket away from double-digit points, turning in eight on the night along with four rebounds and the team-high of three steals. Westbrook and senior
Makinna Serrata were tabbed to the Preseason All-Conference First-Team after both finished in the top-three of the Southland's leading scorers last year.
This game will be Texas A&M's season opener. The Aggies are under new leadership as the 2021 SEC Coach of the Year Joni Taylor begins her first year at the helm after being the head coach at Georgia for the previous seven years.
The Aggies return just one of their starters from last year in forward Aaliyah Patty. She turned in 178 points last year for Texas A&M, averaging 6.4 per game.Patty led the Aggies in blocks with 40 and total rebounds at 206.
In last year's meeting, Westbrook notched a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds against the Aggies while Serrata was also a heavy contributor with 11 points and eight rebounds. The Islanders will be going for its first ever win over the Aggies.
The game can be watched live on SEC Network+/ESPN+, and can also be heard live for free on the Islanders Digital Network with Doug Kesterson on the call.
NOTES
- The Islanders will be going for their fourth win over a Power Five program in school history and the first since 2009-10 when they beat Alabama 96-90. A&M-Corpus Christi also defeated both Indiana and West Virginia in 2004-05.
- In last year's meeting between the Islanders and the Aggies, Westbrook notched a double-double of 11 points and 11 rebounds against Texas A&M while Serrata was also a heavy contributor with 11 points and eight rebounds.
- The 2022-23 season marks the third time the Islanders will have opened their season against two Power Five opponents and first since 2011-12 when they opened with Missouri and Colorado. The first time was in 2005-06 when A&M-Corpus Christi played Vanderbilt, Baylor, LSU and Nebraska in its first four games of the season.
- A&M-Corpus Christi was picked to finish first out of ten in the SLC Preseason Poll, the first time in program history, with 11 first-place votes.
- A&M-Corpus Christi began its 24th season of basketball. The Islanders finished the 2021-22 year 19-10 overall and 11-3 SLC.
-
Royce Chadwick began his 11
th season at the helm and 39
th year overall as a head coach. In the 2021-22 regular season finale victory over UIW, Chadwick became the winningest coach in SLC history with 211 career league wins.
- The Islanders returned four starters from last year's squad and their top seven leading scorers. Serrata and Westbrook not only led the team but were two of the top-three scorers in the league last season.
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