CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Maintaining a lead for the majority of the game, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team held off Texas State down the stretch to come away with the 60-52 win Sunday at the American Bank Center.
The Bobcats (3-2) scored six straight to start the game, but the Islanders (3-3) took over at 12-10 in the first and held a lead the rest of the way. Texas State threatened down the stretch to chip A&M-Corpus Christi's 11-point lead to just four with 1:27 to go, but the Islanders drew crucial fouls to keep the Bobcats at bay and finish with the 60-52 victory.
The Islanders shot 50 percent from the field in the first half, including 40 percent from the three after going 4-of-5 from distance in the third quarter alone. A&M-Corpus Christi got to the free throw line 25 times compared to Texas State's 14, also holding advantages in bench points (31-10) and blocks (7-2).
Junior
Tymberlin Criswell came off the bench to pour in 17 points to fuel the win in addition to spreading the offense with four assists, both of which led the game. She also grabbed three steals and denied the Bobcats once.
Graduate
Alecia Westbrook joined Criswell in double figures with 11, nearing a double-double with nine rebounds. Senior
Nabaweeyah McGill went up big for three rejections while also coming down with seven rebounds.
Texas State registered a trio of double figure scorers, with Ja'Niah Henson, Timia Jefferson, and Tiffany Tullis all scoring 10 points.
The Islanders stayed quiet in the first three minutes of the game as Texas State pulled out to 6-0 before Westbrook and senior
Paige Allen connected with the net to get five on the board. McGill gave A&M-Corpus Christi its first lead at 10-8 with the jumper in the paint but it wasn't until freshman
Torie Sevier's bucket at the 2:01 mark that the Islanders went up 12-10 for a lead never relinquished.
Junior
Annukka Willstedt fired up the court with a three to start the second quarter as the Islanders led 19-12. Another long range shot from Willstedt upped it to 26-17 at 5:59 before Texas State got back within four. Junior
Jaeda Whitner and Criswell joined the distance party with threes of their own to give the Islanders a 36-24 lead with 2:18 to go but the Bobcats added four points before the break.
Texas State fought back out of the half and trailed just 40-39 at 4:37. A pair of free throws by Westbrook helped the Islanders stay ahead and Criswell sank one from beyond-the-arc to cushion the lead at 45-39. Criswell then drew the and-one and completed the three-point play to close out the third up 50-44.
The Islanders kept Texas State scoreless for nearly seven minutes to start the fourth, upping their lead to 55-44 off the second-chance bucket by Westbrook in the process. Though, a 30-second period had the Bobcats score six points to get back within four with 1:27 remaining. The teams fought at the board and McGill went up for the block and rebound to help quiet Texas State as the Islanders held on down the stretch for the 60-52 win.
The Islanders will stay home but return to the Dugan Wellness Center for a 1p.m. Saturday matchup against Rice.
NOTES
- It is the first time in the all-time series with the Bobcats that the Islanders won back-to-back meetings after taking last year's matchup 56-47 in San Marcos.
- Prior to last season, the Islanders hadn't beaten Texas State in nine years (2013-14). That was also the last time A&M-Corpus Christi scored at least 60 points against the Bobcats (68).
- It was the first home game to be played at the American Bank Center this year. The Islanders now improve to 3-1 at home so far this season, 228-149 all-time at home, and 96-75 at the ABC. They have won at least 10 home games in both of the last two seasons.
- A&M-Corpus Christi has scored at least 50 points in every game so far this season. It is the first time since the 2021-22 season when the Islanders scored at least 50 points in the first six games of the season after they scored at least 50 in the first eight games.
- Criswell's turned in her career-high 17 points, making it her first ever double figure scoring game as well. It was helped by her career bests of two made three-pointers, five made field goals, and one block.
- Westbrook registered her third 10+ scoring game of the year and 64
th in her career. She entered the game leading the conference in rebounding with 7.0 rpg and will improve after grabbing nine.
- McGill entered the game leading the SLC in blocks with 1.4 bpg and will improve on that mark after recording three blocks. It is her third time this year to deny an opponent more than two times.
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