THIBODAUX, LA – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team used a fast offensive spurt in the first half and a strong defensive second-half to post a 59-50 win over Nicholls on Thursday night at Stopher Gym.
Both teams got to a slow start before the Islanders (15-10, 10-4 SLC) knocked down consecutive threes to spur an 11-2 scoring run for a double-digit lead that Nicholls (4-20, 2-12) wouldn't cut into until the fourth. The Islanders held a 25-point lead in the third, but it was the defensive effort down the stretch that stifled Nicholls's fourth quarter rally for A&M-Corpus Christi to hold on for the 59-50 win as they clinched a berth into the Southland Conference Tournament.
The bench stepped up for the Islanders, as 10 different student-athletes put up points on the board. The Islanders outscored Nicholls 27-12 in bench points.
A&M-Corpus Christi's defense entered the game leading the league in opponent field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage, improving in both after holding the Colonels to 35.6 percent from the field and 15.8 from the three.
Sophomore
Jaeda Whitner came off the bench to score the game-high 12 points after nailing four shots from beyond the arc. Seniors
Alecia Westbrook and
Makinna Serrata each added nine points, while Westbrook also grabbed 13 boards. She entered the game leading the league in rebounding and will improve her 10.1 rpg mark.
Junior
Paige Allen grabbed 10 rebounds for her second-ever double-digit rebounding performance. She entered the night averaging 1.9 steals per game and was right on par with two.
Nicholls was led by Traya Bruce who scored 12 points through the full 40 minutes after going 5-of-12 from the field. Adrian Mann also notched double figures with 10.
Westbrook drew the foul for the game-opening two points as both teams struggled to get shots from the field. Up 8-5 at the 3:34 mark, the Islanders finally heated up as sophomores
Annukka Willstedt and
Jaeda Whitner went back-to-back from downtown to quickly make it 14-5. Another three-pointer from Whitner extended it to 17-7 while the inside shot by Allen with 18 second remaining made it 19-7 by the end of the first quarter.
Serrata opened the second quarter with a shot from deep herself, extending A&M-Corpus Christi's lead to 22-7. Graduate student
Kristen Daniels scored at the 7:28 mark to keep the Islanders ahead 24-9, though, they would remain scoreless for the next four minutes until junior
Violeta Verano drew the and-one at the 3:20 mark. With 1:49 remaining, sophomore
Maya Ellis, Westbrook and Aguado would each score again as the teams went to the break with the Islanders up 32-17.
A&M-Corpus Christi's biggest lead of the night came at the 3:04 mark in the third following a long-range shot by junior
Sasha Shishkina off the bench. Though, the Islanders would not score again until the 9:23 mark in the fourth after Serrata hit the pull up jumper.
Nicholls would cut it back within nine in the fourth with six minutes remaining, but Serrata's field goal extended A&M-Corpus Christi's lead back to 54-43 before Westbrook's steal led to Whitner's fourth three-pointer of the night to make it 57-43. Nicholls had a final push down the stretch but the Islanders kept the Colonels at bay to hold on for the 59-50 win.
The Islanders will close out the road week at McNeese on Saturday with a 1 p.m. tip, and can be watched live on ESPN3.
NOTES
- It marked A&M-Corpus Christi's fourth win in Thibodaux as they improved to 14-9 in the all-time record over Nicholls. The Islanders have won the last six straight meetings including earlier this season in an 86-47 decision.
- The Islanders are 87-76 all-time in the month of February. Under head coach
Royce Chadwick, they are 100-84 all-time in the Southland Conference.
- The Islanders entered tonight having only let opponents score an average of 55.4 points against them which ranked 23
rd in the nation. They will improve after holding the Colonels to 50 points.
- The Islanders are now 14-3 (9-3 SLC) when they hold the opposition to under 60 points. They have held their opposition to under 60 points in 12 of 14 conference games, four of which were kept to under 50.
- Additionally, the Islanders entered the game holding a 5.4 rebound margin and will improve after outrebounding the Colonels 42-36. The Islanders have outrebounded the opposition in 12 of the 14 SLC games.
- Whitner submitted her fourth double figure scoring game as an Islander, one shy of her career-best set at 13 against St. Thomas back on Dec. 12. Her four made three-pointers is a career-high, and she has now made mutltiple threes in a game 11 times this season and has made at least a trio of them six times. She entered the game ranked second in the league in 3FG percentage and will improve with the 4-for-8 mark.
- Westbrook submitted her 42
nd career double figure rebounding game, 16
th this season and 11
th in conference play. She entered the game ranked 15
th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game at 7.5 and will improve after grabbing 10 defensive boards tonight.
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