CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Off to a 3-0 start in conference play, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team will put that record to the test as it hosts Southeastern on Thursday at 5 p.m. and New Orleans on Saturday at 1 p.m. at the American Bank Center.
Saturday's game against New Orleans will be sponsored by KIII News.Â
A 4-0 start to conference play would be the best start in program history. It is the second year in a row that the Islanders (8-6, 3-0 SLC) won its first three Southland games, which is the first time since the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons that they started conference 3-0 in back-to-back years.Â
The record comes after A&M-Corpus Christi swept UIW last week in back-to-back games, winning 59-51 at home and then 65-58 in San Antonio. Senior Alecia Westbrook was honored as the SLC Player of the Week after recording a double-double in both games, starting the week with a 22-point, 11-rebound, 6-steal and 3-block performance at home before turning in a 15-point and rebound day in San Antonio.
Westbrook now averages a double-double of 11.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. Redshirt senior Makinna Serrata has scored in double digits nine times this year and also averages 11.0 points per game.
Junior Paige Allen scored her season-high of 12 points in game two against UIW. She is averaging 10.3 ppg in conference and has grabbed at least five rebounds in each Southland matchup.
Nationally, Westbrook ranks 22nd in defensive rebounds per game (7.3) and 26th in rebounds per game. She leads the Southland in double-doubles at six, rebounding, free throws made (60), and free throw attempts (77). She averages almost 2.0 rebounds per game more than the second-leading rebounder in the conference.
As a team, the Islanders nationally rank in the top-30 in scoring defense (56.3 ppg) and free throw attempts per game (21.79). In the Southland, A&M-Corpus Christi ranks first in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense (.367), combined opponent rebounds (33.2 rpg), and rebounding margin (4.4).
Southeastern (7-6, 2-1 SLC) is coming off its first conference loss of the season, dropping 57-47 to Lamar. New Orleans' (2-10, 1-2 SLC) has also faced Lamar and actually garnered its sole conference win against the Cardinals in a 60-46 decision.
It will be the first meeting between A&M-Corpus Christi and Southeastern since the semifinal game of the 2022 SLC Tournament where the Lady Lions edged the Islanders 59-54 in overtime.
Both games can be watched with a subscription on ESPN+ with Doug Kesterson on the calls.
NOTES
- The Islanders are 12-10 all-time against Southeastern and 7-3 at home. They beat Southeastern 57-50 at home last season.
- A&M-Corpus Christi leads New Orleans 15-3 all-time and is undefeated 8-0 at home. They kept the Privateers to under 50 points in both meetings last season.
- The Islanders are undefeated when holding the opposition to under 60 points this year. Additionally, they are 7-0 when they score more second chance points and 6-0 when they outblock their opponent.
- A&M-Corpus Christi is 90-72 at the American Bank Center and 220-145 all-time at home where they have outscored the opposition 386-291 this year. The Islanders have not lost a home conference game in the American Bank Center against a current Southland member since Feb. 20, 2021 against Lamar.
- The Islanders are 90-84 all-time in the month of January. Under head coach Royce Chadwick, they are 94-80 all-time in the Southland Conference.
- Both Serrata and Westbrook are on track to reach the 1,000 career points-milestone this season. Westbrook has 927 points while Serrata has 856.
- A&M-Corpus Christi was predicted to win the league after garnering 11 first-place votes in the SLC Preseason Poll. The Islanders will be going for their second Southland title in four years after winning the regular season in 2019-20.Â
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