CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team couldn't find its rhthym in the second half as HCU ended on top in a close 55-52 decision Thursday night at the American Bank Center.
The Islanders (14-9, 9-3 SLC) got off to a slow start but kept HCU (11-12, 6-6 SLC) to just 20 points in the first half to lead it by four at the break and got up by as much as seven points (31-24) in the third quarter off a pair of free throws by senior
Makinna Serrata. Though, the Huskies ended the third on a 13-3 scoring run and with costly plays down the stretch by the Islanders, the back-and-forth affair ended in favor of HCU.
Despite the loss, A&M-Corpus Christi entered the game ranked first in the league in rebounding margin (5.4) and will improve after outrebounding the Huskies 36-30. The Islanders have outrebounded their opposition in 11 of 12 conference games this year.
Serrata turned in the game-high of 23 points, also her season-high. She entered the game in the top-five of the Southland in field goal percentage at a .485 and will improve after shooting 8-of-14 from the floor. She has made eight field goals in two of the last three games.
Senior
Alecia Westbrook also scored in double figures at 13, in addition to 11 rebounds for the double-double. She grabbed two steals while junior
Paige Allen got three in addition to nine points.
HCU was paced by the offensive efforts of N'Denasija Collins, Julija Vujakovic, and Marilyn Nzoiwu who all scored in double figures. Four of HCU's starters played the entire 40 minutes.
Although the Huskies got on the board first, Serrata's long-range shot spurred a 7-0 scoring run by the Islanders who took a 7-2 lead at the 3:55 mark. HCU would tie things up off a quick five points of their own, but Allen forced a turnover and fed Serrata the ball for the jumper to help the Islanders to a 11-9 lead after the opening quarter.
The teams began exchanging buckets in the second quarter and were held tied 20-20 following the lay in by freshman
Bruna Anguera with 2:39 remaining in the half. The Islanders would keep HCU scoreless for the last 3:11 minutes and netted shots from sophomore
Jaeda Whitner and Serrata to gain a 24-20 advantage at the intermission.
Serrata drew the foul at the 6:50 mark in the third and sank both her shots to give the Islanders their biggest lead of the game 31-24. Serrata then knocked down her second three-pointer of the night to keep A&M-Corpus Christi ahead 34-28. The Huskies would lead it before Allen drove inside the paint to make it 36-35 which was quickly answered by HCU who led it 37-36 heading to the final quarter.
HCU gained its biggest lead of the night at 47-41 at the 6:18 mark in the fourth. A steal and score by Westbrook began a 7-0 scoring run by the Islanders who took a 48-47 edge with 5:00 remaining, but it would be their final lead as turnovers and fouls plagued A&M-Corpus Christi down the stretch to allow HCU to finish with the 55-52 win.
The Islanders remain at the top of the Southland rankings, currently tied for first with Southeastern. A&M-Corpus Christi will look to bounce back on Saturday against Lamar with a 1 p.m. tip at the American Bank Center.
NOTES
- A&M-Corpus Christi still leads HCU in the all-time record but dropped to 14-9 all-time and 8-4 at home. It was A&M-Corpus Christ's first home loss to the Huskies since the 2018-19 season.
- A&M-Corpus Christi is now 93-74 all-time at the American Bank Center and 223-147 at home where they have outscored the opposition 706-552 this year.
- The Islanders have and kept the opposition to under 60 points in 11 of 12 conference games.
- It was the third time this year that a game was decided by three points or less for the Islanders and only second in conference play, the first which ended in A&M-Corpus Christi's favor over Lamar (61-59).
- Serrata recorded her 49
th career double figure scoring game, 17
th this season, seventh in a row and 10
th in conference play. In addition, it is her ninth career 20+ point performance and third this season. She has scored at least 20 points in three of the last four games and now leads the Islanders in scoring with 12.5 ppg. She records 990 career points, only 10 points away from the 1,000 career milestone.
- Westbrook submitted her 31
st career double-double, 12
th this season and ninth in conference play. She recently broke the program's career record for double-doubles, surpassing the previous record set at 29 by Elisa Beagle (05-10).
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