CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – In dominant fashion, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team controlled both ends of the court for a 86-47 decision over Nicholls Thursday night at the American Bank Center.
The Islanders (12-7, 7-1 SLC) came out of the gates hot to outscore Nicholls (4-15, 1-7 SLC) 28-11 in the first quarter off 11 made field goals. The Colonels could never cool off A&M-Corpus Christi, who ended with a .500 shooting mark from the field and .476 from distance on the night, as the Islanders sank a season-high 10 three-pointers.
The 86 points itself was a season-high for the Islanders, who beat their previous-best of 80 against St. Thomas. The team's 24 assists off the 31 made field goals was also a season-high.
It marks A&M-Corpus Christi's biggest win against a Southland opponent since Jan. 25, 2014, when the Islanders beat New Orleans 97-44. It was the first 30+ point victory over a conference foe for the Islanders since the 2019-20 season. They are now 92-73 at the American Bank Center and 222-146 all-time at home where they have outscored the opposition 576-436 this year.
Junior
Paige Allen turned in a career night to pace A&M-Corpus Christi, recording her first career double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds. She went 6-of-10 from the field and nailed a pair of threes in her season-high scoring effort. In addition, she matched her career-high of six assists.
Also 6-of-10 from the field was senior
Makinna Serrata who matched Allen's 16 points. Sophomores
Jaeda Whitner and
Annukka Willstedt each netted a trio of long-range shots for nine points apiece.
Nicholls was led by Lexi Alexander who made seven field goals for the game-high 14 points along with 14 rebounds.
The Colonels jumped quick for a 4-0 lead to open the game and maintained their lead through a 6-4 score. Though, Serrata tied it up off the jumper before Allen hit the long-range shot to reverse the score 9-6, a lead that only grew for the Islanders. The pair of threes by Willstedt extended A&M-Corpus Christi's lead to 19-8 to conclude a 10-0 scoring run. Nicholls added three more to the board, but Willstedt's third shot from downtown on the fastbreak kept the Islanders ahead 28-11 after the first.
The fastbreak layup by senior
Hayle Campbell made it a 30-13 score at the 6:54 mark in the second quarter. Back-to-back threes by junior
Violeta Verano and Allen put the Islanders ahead by 23 points, which would be the deficit at the half as the teams headed to the intermission with A&M-Corpus Christi leading it 47-24.
Serrata had the swat and finish to start the third and keep the Islanders ahead 50-24 out of the break. Nicholls had its best performance of the night in the third, but the shots kept falling for A&M-Corpus Christi who went up 65-35 off the three-pointer by Serrata. The Colonels beat the buzzer for the putback to get back within 30, but the Islanders held a comfortable 68-39 lead going into the final quarter.
Junior
Nabaweeyah McGill drew the and-one for the three-point play at the 6:14 mark and made it a 74-41 game. Shots by sophomore
Maya Ellis, junior
Deja Williams, and junior
Sasha Shishkina all inside the paint highlighted the fourth as the Islanders met its largest lead of the night 83-44 with two minutes remaining. Each team managed three more points and the Islanders closed out the 39-point victory with the 86-47 final score.
With A&M-Commerce's loss to Lamar, the Islanders now sit in sole first-place in the Southland rankings with a 7-1 record. A&M-Corpus Christi will next play McNeese on Saturday at 1 p.m. to close out its week at home.
NOTES
- A&M-Corpus Christi improved to 13-9 in the all-time record over Nicholls and 9-2 when the teams play in Corpus Christi. The Islanders haven't lost a home game to the Colonels since the 2015-16 season (64-62).
- The Islanders are now 94-85 all-time in the month of January. Under head coach
Royce Chadwick, they are 98-81 all-time in the Southland Conference.
- It was the second game in a row that the Islanders held an opponent to under 50 points. They have held every conference opponent to under 60 points this season and now three of them to under 50, improving to 12-1 (7-1 SLC) when holding the opposition to under 60 points.
- The 28 points in the first quarter is a season-high by the Islanders. It was previously set at 24 three times, including twice last week as the Islanders scored 24-points in the fourth quarters at Lamar and HCU for the comeback wins.
- The Islanders entered the game leading the Southland in rebounding margin (4.6) and will improve after outrebounding the Colonels 44-29. A&M-Corpus Christi has outrebounded every Southland opponent this year.
- All 15 student-athletes on the Islanders roster saw time on the court.
- Allen submitted her first ever double-double but 25
th career double figure scoring game, ninth of the season and sixth in a row. She has scored in double-figures in seven of the eight conference games, averaging 12.1 points in conference play.
- Serrata recorded her 45
th career double-digit scoring game, 13
th of the season and third in a row. She is averaging in double figures with 11.1 points. She also matched her career-high of two blocks.
- It was Whitner's eighth time this season to make multiple three-pointers in a game and fourth to make three. She entered the game ranked third in the league in three-point field goal percentage at .431 and improved to .446 after the game.
- Willstedt topped her season-best with nine points. Her three made long-range shots were also a season-high and it was the second time this season she made multiple three-pointers in a game.
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