CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – In the first of two meetings this season, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team found an early rhythm and topped UTRGV 69-46 as part of the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union.
The winning night was initiated by a pregame celebration, as A&M-Corpus Christi unveiled its 2022-23 SLC Championship and WNIT banners. It honored the squad that won the program's second regular season championship title in four years and its first postseason appearance since 2005.
The Islanders (4-4) utilized an early attack, scoring eight points out of the gate while keeping UTRGV (0-8) scoreless for nearly the first six minutes of the night. The Vaqueros would battle within three midway through the second quarter, but a pair of long-range field goals from junior
Annukka Willstedt sparked some energy as the Islanders built on their lead from there for the +23 win.
Willstedt was one of three Islanders to sink a pair of threes, alongside junior Sasha Shiskina and senior
Violeta Verano. It was the first time the Islanders shot over 33 percent from the three this year.
The Islanders continued their streak of being undefeated when outrebounding their opponent this year, crashing the glass for 50 compared to UTRGV's 39. Graduate
Alecia Westbrook led the night with 13 boards, getting the double-double after also pouring in 11 points. She was one of four Islanders to score in double figures with Willstedt (10), Verano (10), and junior
Nabaweeyah McGill (12).
The steal and score by Westbrook opened the night of scoring, followed by another steal and score on the putback by senior
Paige Allen as the Islanders jumped out 4-0. Westbrook and McGill bucketed shots before UTRGV finally got on the board at the 4:34 mark. UTRGV tried answering, but senior
Mireia Aguado came up with her first ever made three-pointer in her collegiate career to keep the Islanders ahead 16-7. Verano hit the jumper with a minute to go, but the Vaqueros hit the late three to trail just 18-10.
Junior
Jaeda Whitner connected with the net from beyond-the-arc in the second before UTRGV found a 6-0 spurt to fight back within three. The free throw from McGill shorted the momentum and Willstedt came up with two big shots from deep to push the Islanders further ahead 28-19 with 2:46 to go in the half. Junior
Tymberlin Criswell connected with Willstedt on the fastbreak to end the half as A&M-Corpus Christi led 32-19 at the break.
UTRGV opened the second half with the jumper, but Westbrook scored a pair from the charity strip and the Islanders never led by less than 13 again as their lead only swelled in the third. Back-to-back layups by Westbrook and McGill had them up 48-28 at 2:59. Shishkina came off the bench and nailed the three to keep the Islanders up by 20 with 34 seconds to go, but late free throws made it a 55-37 game going into the final quarter.
Free throws helped keep A&M-Corpus Christi cushioned with a 20+ point lead, as Allen capitalized on McGill's block and ran the court for the fastbreak lay-in as the Islanders were up 65-43 with 2:59 remaining. Shishkina hit her second three to give the Islanders their biggest lead of the night at 68-43 and the free throw from sophomore
Bruna Anguera capped the 69-46 win.
The Islanders will have some time off before facing UTRGV yet again on December 14 in Edinburg. They will be looking for their first season sweep over the Vaqueros since the 2019-20 season.
NOTES
- It marked the 42nd all-time meeting between A&M-Corpus Christi and UTRGV. The Islanders now lead the series 28-17 and improve to 16-7 at home against the Vaqueros, having won the last three home meetings. It is the first time the Islanders have held the Vaqueros to under 50 points since the 2018-19 season (59-49).
- The game concludes a three-game homestand for the Islanders. They improve to 4-2 at home so far this season, 229-150 all-time at home, and 97-75 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 seven games of the season after they scored at least 50 in the first eight games.
- The Islanders entered the game leading the Southland Conference in blocked shots with 4.14 per game and will improve after blocking UTRGV seven times. McGill, who leads the league in block shots, recorded four for the second time this season. She has recorded multiple blocks in four games this year.
- McGill also submitted her second double figure scoring game of the year and 11
th in her career. Her 12 points were one shy of her season-best, set against St. Thomas (TX) in the season opener.
- Westbrook finally registered her first double-double of the season, but 35
th in her career. She entered the game leading the conference in rebounding at 7.1 per game and will improve after grabbing 13.
- Verano turned in her first double digit scoring game of the season but 17
th in her career. She set her season-highs tonight in field goals made (4) and three-pointers made (2).
- Willstedt scored in double figures for the second time this year, first since the season opener, and fifth in her career. She nailed a pair of threes for the fourth time this season.
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