LAKE CHARLES, LA – The entire roster of the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team played a role in Saturday's effort to complete the season sweep over McNeese following a 75-62 victory at Legacy Center.
The Islanders (16-10, 11-4 SLC) held a 34-25 lead over McNeese (9-17, 6-9 SLC) at the half. The Cowgirls would get within four in the third, but a monster 31-point fourth quarter by A&M-Corpus Christi kept the Islanders ahead by double digits for nearly the entire final 10 minutes.
All 15 student-athletes saw time on the court for the Islanders with 12 putting up points on the board. Additionally, five Islanders grabbed at least a trio of steals as A&M-Corpus Christi forced 32 McNeese turnovers while only giving up 18 of their own.
A&M-Corpus Christi was given 38 chances at the free throw line where they scored 32 of their points while McNeese scored half of that from the charity strip. The 84.2 percent shooting from the line is a season-high for the Islanders, as eight student-athletes made all their free throws.
Redshirt senior
Makinna Serrata scored the team-high 16 points through just 20 minutes of action. She knocked down a pair of three-pointers and was 6-of-6 in free throws.
Serrata was one of three Islanders in double figures, as junior
Violeta Verano notched 14 points while senior
Alecia Westbrook scored 10, all of whom grabbed at least three steals. Four of Verano's five made field goals came from beyond the arc. Westbrook and graduate student
Kristen Daniels each had five rebounds.
McNeese shot 45.7 percent from the floor in the game and had Divine Tanks score the game-high 18 points. Though, the Cowgirls were held to a 12.5 shooting mark from the three-point line compared to A&M-Corpus Christi's 33.3.
Verano opened the scoring with the long-range shot as the Islanders kept McNeese scoreless for the first 3:15 minutes of the game. The Cowgirls took a 7-6 lead at the 4:03 mark, but it would be there last as Verano layed it up in the next possession to reverse the score for the final time.
The second quarter also opened with an Islander three-pointer as Serrata knocked down the shot for the 18-7 lead. Verano followed her up with another shot from deep for the 12-point advantage. McNeese would cut it to a one-possession game with 3:51 remaining in the half, but shots by freshman
Bruna Anguera, sophomore
Annukka Willstedt and Serrata pushed the Islanders up 29-20. Verano hit her third triple of the game at the 1:19 mark and the Islanders led it 34-25 at the intermission.
Serrata made the only two field goals for A&M-Corpus Christi in the third including her second three-pointer of the game. Though, free throws by Westbrook and Willstedt kept the Islanders ahead 44-36 heading into the final quarter.
Junior
Sasha Shishkina connected with the net from downtown at the 8:04 mark for a 51-38 lead and McNeese would never cut the deficit within 10 again. The free throws by senior
Hayle Campbell gave the Islanders their largest lead of the game at 67-50. Campbell laid it up on the fastbreak with 21 seconds remaining before the pair of free throws by junior
Deja Williams concluded the scoring for the Islanders who solidified the 75-62 victory.
The Islanders will return home for the final time next week as they welcome Texas A&M-Commerce on Thursday at 5 p.m. and Northwestern State Saturday at 1 p.m.
NOTES
- A&M-Corpus Christi now leads McNeese 13-9 in the all-time record. It was the third ever win for the Islanders when they play McNeese in Lake Charles.
- The Islanders are now 89-76 all-time in the month of February. Under head coach
Royce Chadwick, they are 102-84 all-time in the Southland Conference.
- The Islanders improved to 8-0 SLC when they shoot more FTs than their opponent. Additionally, they are now 10-1 (5-1 SLC) when they post a positive turnover margin.
- The 31 points in the fourth quarter is the most scored in a quarter by the Islanders this season. Previously, the season-high was set at 28 which came in the first quarter versus Nicholls on Jan. 26.
- The 75 points was the second highest scored against a Southland opponent by the Islanders this year. The most was 78 which came in the first meeting against McNeese earlier this season.
- Through just 20 minutes of play, Serrata submitted her 51
st career double figure scoring game, 19
th this season and 12
th in conference play. She matched her season-high of three steals. Serrata is shooting .507 (77-of-152) from the field in conference play.
- Verano recorded her 15
th career double-digit scoring game and fifth this season. She nailed four three-pointers, one shy of her career-best. She recorded the game-highs of four steals and four assists. Her four steals was one-shy of her career-best.
- Westbrook turned in her 57
th career double figure scoring game, 18
th this season and 12
th in conference play. She was 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
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