Islanders Catch Fire in Second Half to Beat Nicholls; Murdix Breaks School Assists Record

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Turning it up a notch in the second half, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball program quickly erased a seven-point halftime deficit to win 96-86 over Nicholls on Thursday at the American Bank Center.
 
Senior Terrion Murdix recorded a historic night. With a double-double of 17 points and 15 assists, he broke the school's single-game assists record of 12 set twice, most recently by Myles Smith in 2020-21.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi (12-9, 5-3 SLC) shot a scorching .652 (15-23) from the field in the second half. For the game, the Islanders were .549 from the floor, .444 (8-18) from long-range and .865 (32-37) from the free throw line. The 32 made free throws were a season-high.
 
The Islanders also turned the ball over just eight times, which was a season-low.
 
Nicholls (10-10, 5-3 SLC) did a lot of damage in the first half but the Islanders were able to cool them off a touch in the second. The Colonels were 9-of-15 from three in the first but held to 3-of-9 in the second.
 
Murdix was one of two Islanders with a double-double  as senior Isaac Mushila tallied 25 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Trevian Tennyson poured in a game-high 27 points and was 5-of-9 from three and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Graduate Ross Williams netted 15 points off the bench.
 
The Colonels were led by Latrell Jones who posted 22 points. Pierce Spencer ended with 11 points and 13 rebounds.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi led 9-4 early after a three by Tennyson. Though, Nicholls tied it up 13-13 with 12:28 to go and led 20-15 at the midway point. Threes kept raining in for Colonels and they took their largest lead of the night 39-29 at the 3:15 mark.
 
The Islanders tried to chip into the deficit at the end of the half. A pair of free throws by Williams cut it to 39-34 and a jumper by Murdix kept it at 41-36 with 41 seconds left. Though, Nicholls scored the last bucket of the half on a lay-up by Jones to carry a 43-36 edge into the locker room.
 
The game turned in the first three minutes of the second half when A&M-Corpus Christi went on a 13-3 run. It started with a lay-up by senior Simeon Fryer off a turnover, and a three by Tennyson put the team up 49-46 with 16:51 remaining.
 
Nicholls took its final lead of the game 59-58 at the 12:03 mark, but the Islanders answered with a 10-2 spurt as a steal and dunk by Mushila put them in front 68-61 with 9:48 left. A pair of free throws by Mushila increased it into double-figures 73-62 with 8:27 to go.
 

9:48 2H - Mushila with the steal and dunk to extend the Islanders' 68-61 lead!#ShakasUp // #GoIslanders pic.twitter.com/Sn1DO5nMm0

— Islanders Men's Basketball (@Islanders_MBB) January 27, 2023

Colonels made one last push late and got it down to 82-78 with 4:16 remaining, but never got closer. A&M-Corpus Christi punched back with a 7-0 run as a lay-up by Mushila got it back up to 89-78 at the 2:14 mark.
 
A&M-Corpus Christi will remain at home Saturday when it closes out the weekend at 3:30 p.m. against McNeese. The Islanders are 16-5 all-time against McNeese, 9-1 at home and 3-0 under head coach Steve Lutz.
 
NOTES
- A&M-Corpus Christi is now 12-9 all-time against Nicholls and 7-2 at home. It was the second straight win over the Colonels after knocking them off 71-64 in the semifinals of the 2022 Southland Conference Tournament en route to winning the championship.
 
- The Islanders improved to 9-1 at home this year. A&M-Corpus Christi is 220-107 all-time at home and 145-78 at the American Bank Center.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi is now 150-127 all-time in the Southland Conference since joining the league in 2006-07.
 
- In two seasons under Lutz, the Islanders are 15-0 when they shoot over 50 percent from the field.
 
- A&M-Corpus Christi held a 30-25 rebounding advantage. The Islanders have outrebounded the opposition in all eight conference games this season.
 
- Nicholls largest scoring run was six consecutive points. The Islanders have only given up a scoring run of 10 or more consecutive points one time this season, making them one of 12 teams in the nation to do so, per Hoop Power Analytics.
 
- Murdix registered his first career double-double. He became the first Islanders with at least 10 points and 10 assists since Hameed Ali at Northwestern State on Jan. 19, 2016. It was Murdix's second career game of at least 10 assists. He totaled his 31st career double-figure scoring game, 14th this season and eighth in a row. Murdix entered the night already leading the SLC in assists per game with 4.8. He logged a career-high 37:46 minutes.
 
- Mushila, who entered the night ranked top-25 in the nation in double-doubles, submitted his ninth this year and 22nd in his career. His 11 made free throws were a season-high. Mushila notched his 37th career double-digit scoring game and 12th this year, 12th career 20-plus performance and seventh this season, and 25th career double-figure rebounding game and 9th this year.
 
- Tennyson has scored at least 25 points in three of the last four games. He's averaging a team-high 18.9 points in conference and is shooting .525 (32-61) from beyond-the-arc. It was his 36th career double-figure scoring game and 15th this season. Tennyson drained 20-plus points for the seventh time in his career and fourth this year. It was also the fifth time in his career and third this season that he's made at least five threes in a game. Tennyson's eight made free throws were a career-high.
 
- Williams etched his 11th double-figure scoring game of the season and second in a row. He hit a trio of three-pointers.
 
Suits & Sneakers Week
A&M-Corpus Christi is participating in a nationwide event where basketball coaches across the country unite for a common cause – saving lives from cancer. Coaches are working with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) to raise funds and awareness about the fight against cancer and promote the American Cancer Society as a source of inspiration and hope for those facing cancer.
 


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#ShakasUp