First-Place Islanders Bring Winning-Streak to McNeese, HBU

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LAKE CHARLES, La. – Riding a six-game winning-streak, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball program will travel to McNeese for a 5 p.m. game Thursday at the Legacy Center, followed by a 2 p.m. contest Saturday against HBU at Sharp Gym.
 
It could be a historic weekend for head coach Royce Chadwick, who is one win away from tying James Smith's mark of most SLC wins in a coaching career. Chadwick sits at 209 SLC wins, while Smith won 210 at Northwestern State from 1987-04. Chadwick's career SLC record is 209-98 including 13 wins at Sam Houston, 111 at Stephen F. Austin and 85 at A&M-Corpus Christi. Chadwick also reached the 700-win total in his career earlier this season and is up to 706.
 
The Islanders (17-7, 9-1 SLC) moved into first-place last weekend with wins over Southeastern and Northwestern State. A&M-Corpus Christi holds a one-game lead over HBU (12-9, 9-2 SLC) in the Southland Conference standings.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi is on a six-game winning-streak and has won 12 of its last 13 games. The Islanders are one win away from tripling their win total from last season when they finished 6-13.
 
Senior Makinna Serrata is the reigning SLC Player of the Week winner. She averaged 20.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and was 9-for-10 from the free throw line in a pair of wins. It marked the fourth SLC weekly award this season for the Islanders as junior Alecia Westbrook has won three times.
 
Serrata leads the team with 14.1 points per game on the season, including 16.9 in conference. Serrata ranks third in the SLC in scoring and fourth field goal percentage (.496).
 
Westbrook ranks 26th in the nation in rebounding (10.5 rpg) and averages a double-double with 12.6 points per game. She leads the SLC in rebounding and is third in steals (2.1 spg), third in field goal percentage (.496) third in minutes (32.4 mpg).
 
Sophomore Violeta Verano leads the league in assists with 4.6 per game and has dished out at least a pair of assists in every game this year. Verano is averaging 10.5 points per game in conference.
 
McNeese (11-13, 6-5 SLC) is coming off an unbeaten road weekend with wins over Nicholls 63-53 and New Orleans 75-64. The Cowgirls have a pair of double-figure scorers in Desirae Hansen (11.0 ppg) and Kaili Chamberlin (10.8 ppg).
 
The Islanders won the first meeting this year 72-61 at home as Westbrook registered a career-high 23 points.
 
HBU has won three in a row, including a victory over Southeastern which moved the team into second-place. Timia Jefferson is the team leader with 12.7 points per game.
 
In two wins over HBU this year, the Islanders did not make a single three-pointer but dominated the boards and the paint. A&M-Corpus Christi beat the Huskies twice at home, including one non-conference game after the SLC Preseason Tipoff was canceled on the women's side.
 
NOTES
- A&M-Corpus Christi is 11-8 all-time against McNeese and has won four in a row.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi ranks 21st in the country in field goal percentage defense (.355) and 24th in steals per game (10.7 spg). In addition to those categories, the Islanders lead the SLC in assists (15.25 apg) and rebounding margin (+5.8).
 
- In the school record book, Westbrook ranks second in her career in rebounding average (7.7), third in field goal percentage (.514), third in double-doubles (16), sixth in defensive rebounds (392), eighth in free throws made (247), eighth in total rebounds (557), ninth in free throws made (247) and 10th in steals (119).

- The Islanders have not allowed more than 61 points in a conference game this year and have held half of their opponents to 50 points or less.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi is 15-0 (7-0 SLC) when leading at half and 15-0 (8-0 SLC) when it outrebounds the opposition.
 
- When A&M-Corpus Christi hosts Nicholls on March 2, the Islanders will be going for their first undefeated home season in program history. They were 13-1 in 2019-20. A&M-Corpus Christi currently holds the ninth longest active home winning-streak in the nation and has outscored the opposition 892-650 at home this year.
 
- There are only four current student-athletes in the entire Southland Conference that have won an SLC championship, and all four are on A&M-Corpus Christi: Westbrook, Serrata, Hayle Campbell and Olivia Dowden.
 
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