Islanders Shine in SLC Opener on the Road

 

NATCHITOCHES, Louisiana - The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team showcased a well-rounded offense in its conference opener to secure a 65-50 victory over Northwestern State on Friday at Prather Coliseum.

The Islanders (6-6, 1-0 SLC) shot 42.9 percent from the field and got nine steals in the first half for a quick advantage that Northwestern State (4-7, 0-1 SLC) couldn't recover from. A 16-point lead in the third kept A&M-Corpus Christi comfortably ahead and although the Lady Demons would fight back within six, the Islanders performed on both ends of the court to aid in the 65-50 final result. 

A&M-Corpus Christi entered the game leading the Southland in rebounding margin (2.5) and will improve after outrebounding the Lady Demons 41-32.

Senior Alecia Westbrook went 6-of-11 from the field to fuel the Islanders with her double-double performance of 18 points and 13 rebounds. Her 18 points was a season-high for A&M-Corpus Christi. 

Joining Westbrook in double figures was redshirt senior Makinna Serrata with 17 and junior Paige Allen at 11. Serrata matched Westbrook's six field goals while Allen netted a pair of three-pointers. 

Northwestern State had two players score in double digits, including Shelby Rayner who poured in the game-high of 20. She shot 50 percent from the field and from behind-the-arc.

Getting to double figures in the first quarter alone, Serrata started hot to score A&M-Corpus Christi's first nine points of the game. The Lady Demons would get within one at 10-9, but a pair of free throws by junior Mireia Aguado kept the Islanders ahead. Westbrook drew the and-one at the 1:20 mark for the three-point play before Serrata earned her 10th point of the game at the free throw line to help the Islanders lead 16-9 heading to the second quarter.

A&M-Corpus Christi kept the momentum going in the second quarter and went on a 14-0 scoring run to extend its lead to 24-9. The long-range shot by Allen kept the Islanders ahead 27-14 before the shots started falling for Northwestern State who cut the deficit to six (30-24) with 1:48 remaining in the half. Though, the three-pointer by sophomore Jaeda Whitner and a pair of layups by Westbrook gave the Islanders a 37-26 cushion at the intermission.
 

2Q | Nothing but net for P. Allen from deep!#ShakasUp pic.twitter.com/wt6AfhCLwY

— Islanders Women's Basketball (@Islanders_WBB) December 30, 2022

The largest lead of the game came in the third quarter when the jumper by Aguado pulled the Islanders ahead 48-32. A block and layup by Allen took the game to a 50-37 score at the 0:39 mark but Northwestern State responded with a field goal of their own to cut it to 50-39 by the end of the third quarter. 

The final quarter featured a last push by the Lady Demons who only knocked down three-pointers to try and cut the deficit, but the Islanders kept Northwestern State scoreless for the remaining two minutes of the game to close out the 65-50 win. 

The Islanders will next play in their conference home opener on Wednesday, Jan. 4 at 5 p.m. CT against UIW. It will be the last game of the season to be played in the Dugan Wellness Center and will be streamed on ESPN+.

NOTES
- A&M-Corpus Christi has now won eight consecutive games against Northwestern State, improving to a 15-5 all-time record and 7-2 when the teams play in Natchitoches.

- The Islanders are now 6-0 when holding the opposition to under 60 points. They have not allowed Northwestern State to score 60+ points against them since 2015-16.

- Additionally, A&M-Corpus Christi is now  5-0 when scoring more second-chance points. 

- The Islanders shot 79.2 from the free throw line (19-24), a season-best. A&M-Corpus Christi has shot more free throws than its opponents in 10 games this year.

- Westbrook recorded her 22nd career double-double and fourth of the season. She entered the game leading the conference in rebounding at 9.2 rpg and will remain on top after grabbing 13 rebounds against Northwestern State. 

- Serrata submitted her 40th career double figure scoring game and eighth this season. She remains the leading scorer for the Islanders with 11.3 ppg.

- Allen notched her 19th career double digit scoring game and third this season. She topped her previous best of one block with two, and matched her season-highs in assists (3) and steals (4).

- Junior transfer Justis Odom blocked two shots, a career-high of hers as an Islander. She contributed four rebounds, one assist and one steal against Northwestern State.



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#ShakasUp