Postseason Run Comes to a Close for A&M-Corpus Christi at NCAA Tournament

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DAYTON, Ohio – Representing the University and the Southland Conference on a national stage, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball program fought hard but just couldn't get the ball to roll its way in the end in a 76-67 decision Tuesday against Texas Southern in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament at UD Arena.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi (23-12) led 61-59 with 6:04 remaining when Texas Southern (19-12) went on a 12-1 run to go up 71-62 with 1:05 left. The Islanders battled until the end and had an opportunity to cut it to four points with 24 seconds left but the ball wouldn't go down when it needed to.
 
The game featured five ties and seven lead changes.
 
Junior Trevian Tennyson, an All-Conference Third-Team selection, found the hot hand and tallied a team-high 18 points. He drilled a trio of three-pointers in the second half.
 
Nearing a double-double was senior Simeon Fryer with 12 points and a career-high nine rebounds. Junior Terrion Murdix, the SLC Tournament MVP, registered 10 points and six assists.
 
The Islanders won the turnover battled and outscored the Tigers 16-1 in points off turnovers. A&M-Corpus Christi's nine turnovers were its second-lowest of the season.
 
TSU was guided by Bryson Etienne's 21 points off the bench. John Walker III finished with 16 points and PJ Henry 14.
 
Tied 5-5 early, Fryer hit a jumper and Tennyson converted back-to-back lay-ups to give the Islanders an 11-5 edge at the first media timeout. A dunk by sophomore Stephen Faramade continued it into an 8-0 run to lead 13-5 at the 14:16 mark.
 
After the Tigers cut it to 17-16, the Islanders answered with lay-ups from junior Isaac Mushila and Fryer to remain ahead 21-16 with 9:49 to go.
 
TSU answered with a 9-0 run to take a 25-21 edge with 6:03 left. A&M-Corpus Christi responded with a lay-up by Faramade and a three by Fryer to go back up 26-25 with 4:05 remaining. Though, a back-and-forth first half ended with the Tigers slightly ahead 32-30.
 
The Islanders trailed just 40-39 at the 14:57 mark after a three by Tennyson.
 
After TSU extended it to 49-43, Tennyson hit back-to-back threes to spark a 9-0 run and grab a 52-49 advantage with 9:57 left. The Tigers called timeout after senior Myles Smith drained a three to make it 55-51 with 8:45 remaining.
 
Still up 61-59 at the 6:04 mark, Texas Southern hit a hot spurt after drawing fouls and making free throws to regain a 66-61 edge at the 3:27 mark. The shots weren't falling for A&M-Corpus Christi late as the Tigers were able to increase it to 71-62 with 1:05 to go.
 
A three by Murdix and a free throw by Jackson cut it to 73-67 with 37 seconds left, but the Islanders couldn't get another bucket to fall.
 
The Islanders earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Southland Conference Tournament.
 
NOTES
- A&M-Corpus Christi made its second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2006-07, which was also the first year the program was in a conference. The men's basketball program is only in its 23rd season and began in 1999-00.
 
- The Islanders are now 2-2 all-time against Texas Southern and it was the first time the two teams have played since 2007-08. It was the first meeting between the two on a neutral court.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi more-than quadrupled its win total from last season when it finished 5-19 overall. It marked the largest year-to-year turnaround in program history. It's currently tied for the largest turnaround in the country (18 wins) with Iowa State from last year.
 
- The Islanders recorded their sixth 20-win season in program history and first since 2016-17.
 
- Mushila, an All-Conference Second-Team honoree, broke the school single-season records for rebounding average (9.4), total rebounds (330) and offensive rebounds (125). The previous records were 9.2 rebounds per game by Michael Hicks in 1999-00, 305 total rebounds by Rashawn Thomas in 2016-17 and 115 offensive rebounds by Demond Watt in 2010-11. Mushila pulled down eight rebounds tonight and was the team's leading scorer with 13.2 points per game.
 
- Fryer was the only student-athlete to start in all 35 games this year. He ended the season with a .371 three-point percentage which was a significant improvement from his .224 last year. Fryer tallied his 20th career double-figure scoring game and 13th this year. His nine rebounds surpassed his previous high of seven set four times. Fryer was 10-of-19 from three-point range in the conference tournament and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team.
 
- Smith finished his career at A&M-Corpus Christi ranked third all-time in school history in three-pointers made (163), fifth in minutes (3,231), sixth in assists (293) and ninth in double-figure scoring games (58). Smith has scored 1,194 points, grabbed 413 rebounds and dished out 293 assists.
 
- Tennyson submitted his 20th double-digit scoring performance of the year. He made at least a trio of three-pointers 13 times. His 74 threes on the season tied for the second-most in school history.
 
- Murdix notched his 17th double-figure scoring game of the season and sixth in a row. It was the 11th time his distributed at least five assists in a game.
 
- It was the opening game of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
 
Quoting head coach Steve Lutz
Opening Statement
"I couldn't be prouder of these young men. Obviously, we wanted to win the basketball game and it wasn't our night and we missed a lot of shots and a lot of free throws that we normally make. But give credit to Texas Southern, they played really hard and played good defense. Nevertheless, to be associated with these young men and with this program, it's a dream come true. It's a chance of a lifetime for each and every one of us to be together. It's an experience that we'll never forget and I'm glad that it was with these group of young men. There's nothing that I would change and they have done anything and everything that is possibly imaginable. They rallied a city around them, they rallied a university around them, and they won at a high, high level with a first-class manner every single day. I couldn't be prouder of them. Obviously, we wanted to win the basketball game, but hats off to Texas Southern."
 
On whether Texas Southern's length bothered them
"Their length bothered us at the rim offensively, but defensively we forced six turnovers in the first six, seven minutes, and then we only forced two the entire second half. So our defense, to be very honest with you, it subsided, and we were allowing them to get catches. We were allowing them to get downhill and at the rim, and obviously it caught up with us. But to answer your question, for us offensively their length did bother us. We knew going into the game that when we drove the ball to the basket, the ball needed to move out. You weren't going to be able to finish many things at the rim because they've got really good shot blockers. And at times we did that, but at times we just didn't make good enough decisions at the rim and capitalize on some of their overhelping and going to go block shots."
 
On being able to take a group to the NCAA Tournament as a first-year head coach
"This is a year of a lifetime for these guys. I mean, just think about it as it relates to life. They came into a situation and took a chance on a brand new head coach with 14 other players they probably didn't know, and they came together as a team, came together as a family and achieved things that some of them never have before. They'll look back on this -- I told them in the locker room -- they'll look back on this when they're old, fat and bald like me and they're going to be, like, hey, man, this was one of the best years of my life. And for that, boy, I couldn't be prouder of them. And I wouldn't want to ever share it with anyone else. These guys -- and everybody says it, that you're family, but I'm telling you, if you spend time around our players, you know that they love one another and they play hard for one another. And they've put Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on the map. Tonight, the world watched us play. And we came up short. And that's part of life. And that's part of defeat. But these guys, they're going to be successful husbands and fathers and businessmen and people in the community. I have absolutely no doubt about it, and that's what it's about. We lost a basketball game tonight, and it hurts; but in the grand scheme of things, these guys, they're going to be studs for the rest of their lives."
 
On how he was able to be so successful in his first year
"Our success has nothing to do with me. Our success has to do with those 14 guys who sacrificed for one another and who believed in one another and put their individual goals aside for us to be able to achieve something that this university hasn't achieved since 2007. So I just happened to be the head coach, but these guys, they're going to enjoy this the rest of their lives. And they absolutely deserve it. They deserved to win tonight, we just didn't -- the ball didn't go our way, and Texas Southern did a little bit of a better job. And obviously shot a lot more free throws than us tonight. So I guess to answer your question, man, this has nothing to do with me. This has to do with them. I would tell you that Myles Smith finished his degree; Simeon Fryer finished his degree; San Antonio Brinson has his degree. I would tell you to hire these guys. I would tell you to hire them every day of the week and twice on Sundays because they're good people, they'll work hard for you and they're very loyal and hardworking."
 
Quoting senior Myles Smith
On forcing turnovers early but having challenges late against Texas Southern
"Texas Southern is a good basketball school. They have some tournament experience and I think that played a part in it. I think we got off to a good early start but then they settled into the game. We settled into the game. The nerves kind of went away. And just as the course of the game went, I think they adjusted, we adjusted. And just kind of how the ball bounced."
 
On what was working midway through the second half and how Texas Southern was able to adjust in the end
"I think around that time Trevian Tennyson got hot and that kind of gave us some life. But I mean they're a good basketball team. They adjusted and they took away three-pointers and made us adjust. But I'm proud of our effort. I thought we played hard until the very last buzzer. So can't take away from that."
 
On when he felt the team was an NCAA Tournament caliber team
"I think we saw that from early on, really early on, just the work ethic that we came into every day with, especially me and Simeon coming off a lackluster season last year. I think we were really, you know, guys, let's turn this thing around, we have a rare opportunity. So early on we as leaders tried to instill that into our group. And I think around the mid-season mark we kind of got a little mid-season fatigue, but we got hot when it was time to get hot. I'm just really proud of our team for that and staying focused on the end goal.
 
Quoting senior Simeon Fryer
On what was working midway through the second half
"I would just say probably at that time we got a little rhythm. We had it going for a second. We just took the shots that were given to us and luckily they fell in."
 
On playing with so many new players this season
"From the beginning, I remember Coach Lutz pulled us in as a group and said we have enough to get it done. Fortunately, we won the conference tournament and made it here. I looked at everybody as family. It's sad we lost, but I wouldn't want to do it with any other group of guys."
 
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