A&M-Corpus Christi Faces SLU in SLC Semifinals

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KATY, Texas – The second-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball program had to wait a week to find out its opponent after the bracket was first revealed, but upon conclusion of Friday's games the Islanders will go up against third-seeded Southeastern at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the semifinals of the SLC Championship at the Merrell Center.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi (19-9, 11-3 SLC) is playing for its first-ever SLC Tournament title and first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Islanders won a regular season championship in 2019-20 but didn't have the opportunity to play in the conference tournament after it was canceled due to COVID-19.
 
The Islanders have more-than tripled their win total from last season when they finished 6-13. They are going for their fourth 20-win season and second in the last three years.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi ranks top-25 in the country in steals per game (10.4 spg) and 27th in field goal percentage defense (.361). In addition to those categories, the Islanders lead the SLC in assists (14.9 apg).
 
A&M-Corpus Christi garnered a pair of All-Conference First-Team selections in junior Alecia Westbrook and senior Makinna Serrata. Westbrook was also named the Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-Defensive Team, along with sophomore Paige Allen. It marked the first time in program history that the Islanders landed two student-athletes on the First-Team and two on the All-Defensive Team.
 
Westbrook averaged a double-double of 13.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. She led the league and ranked top-25 in the country in rebounding. Westbrook also ranked third in the conference in both steals and field goal percentage. Westbrook has 10 double-doubles on the year to go along with 21 double-figure scoring games and four 20-plus scoring performances. Her season-high is 23 points against Nicholls and 16 rebounds against Schreiner. She started in all 28 games on the season.
 
Serrata led the team in scoring with 14.1 points per game, including 16.2 in conference play. She's shooting .819 from the free throw line and ranked third in the SLC in scoring and fourth in field goal percentage. Serrata has 21 double-figure scoring games on the year including a career-high 28 against Pacific.
 
Allen grabbed at least five steals in a game four times and recorded six steals twice. She ranked second in the league in steals with 2.3 per game and first in total steals with 62.
 
Sophomore Violeta Verano led the league in assists with 4.6 per game and was second in assist:turnover ratio (1.1). She averaged 8.2 points per game on the year and 8.8 in conference.
 
Sophomore Nabaweeyah McGill ranked second in the SLC in blocks with 1.2 per game. Her season-high is seven against UIW in the Dugan Wellness Center.
 
Southeastern (15-10, 10-4 SLC) earned a first round bye and defeated New Orleans on Friday in the quarterfinals. SLU landed three student-athletes on the All-Conference Teams including Caitlyn Williams on the First-Team and Hailey Giaratano and Morgan Carrier on the Third-Team.
 
The Islanders and Lady Lions split the season series this year, each winning at home.
 
NOTES
- After winning the regular season finale against UIW, head coach Royce Chadwick became the winningest coach in SLC history with 211 career league wins. He surpassed James Smith's mark of 210 from 1987-04 at Northwestern State. Chadwick's career SLC record is 211-100 including 13 wins at Sam Houston, 111 at Stephen F. Austin and 87 at A&M-Corpus Christi. Chadwick also reached the 700-win total in his career earlier this season and is up to 708.
 
- The Islanders posted their first undefeated home season in program history with a 14-0 mark, which topped their 13-1 record in 2019-20. A&M-Corpus Christi currently holds the sixth longest active home winning-streak in the nation and outscored the opposition 960-703 at home this year.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi is 12-9 all-time against SLU and 1-0 on a neutral court. It will be the first time they've met in the SLC Tournament.
 
- The Islanders have been stout defensively all season and held the opposition to 60 points or less in 12 of 14 conference games.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi won four SLC Player of the Week awards as a team. It included three by Westbrook and one from Serrata.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi registered a Senior Night win over Nicholls where it scored the first 16 points of the fourth quarter to pull away for a 68-53. Before the game, the Islanders honored Alexandria Pollard and Diamond Wraggs. Pollard is a two-year letterwinner that transferred from Bossier Parish CC, while Wraggs is a grad transfer playing her final year after coming from Mississippi Valley State.
 
- The Islanders went on a six-game winning-streak in conference play. It included road wins at Northwestern State, Nicholls and New Orleans.
 
- In the school record book, Westbrook ranks second in her career in rebounding average (7.9), second in field goal percentage (.516), third in double-doubles (18), sixth in defensive rebounds (423), seventh in free throws made (270), seventh in total rebounds (598), eighth in free throw attempts (360) and 10th in steals (122).
 
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