THIBODAUX, La. – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team tried to string together a late rally but fell short as Nicholls held down the stretch to take a 67-63 decision Monday night at David R. Stopher gym.
The Islanders (14-10, 7-4 SLC) held a one-point lead at the half over Nicholls (13-11, 8-3 SLC) before the Colonels heated up from three to reverse it for the majority of the second. A&M-Corpus Christi fought down the stretch with two crucial three-pointers to make it a one-possession game, but the final chance just missed the mark as Nicholls closed out.
A&M-Corpus Christi ended with just nine turnovers, but eight came in the second half as they struggled with the Colonels' pressure who took advantage to pull ahead for the final time in a game that featured 12 lead changes.
Redshirt sophomore
Owen Dease and junior
Garry Clark led the team with 13 points apiece, both bucketing five field goals. Junior
Dian Wright-Forde joined them in double figures with 12, helped by sinking a pair of three-pointers.
The Colonels were helped by the three-point shooting of Diante Smith and Rob Brown III who combined for seven of the team's eight made threes. Smith led all scorers with 20 points.
Clark answered Nicholls right away to keep an early 2-2 tie, but it was his three-ball at 17:05 that pushed the Islanders ahead 5-4. Wright-Forde kept them ahead by three with his own long-range shot, but it wasn't safe from the ensuing lead changes as Nicholls responded with five straight for the reversal.
Nicholls had maintained a slight edge until Dease converted off the takeaway from junior tedrick Washington Jr. for a 22-21 lead at 7:38. In helped A&M-Corpus Christi gain control as Wright-Forde went deep again to push it to 25-21. Though, an 8-0 scoring push got the Colonels back ahead 29-26 as they held a 31-28 advantage before the Islanders closed out with the flush from redshirt sophomore
Stephen Giwa and the last-minute jumper by graduate
Marion Humphrey to be the one on top by a point at the half.
Wright-Forde laid it in at 16:49 in the second to maintain a 34-33 lead before Nicholls jumped out ahead at 16:40 to lead the rest of the way. The Islanders would threaten within possessions, including a three-pointer from Washington bringing an 11-point deficit down to just four at 4:20.
The Colonels extended it back to six before the second-chance three by graduate
Lance-Amir Paul cut it to a 60-57 game with under a minute to play. Though, an and-one and two more made free throws kept Nicholls in a cushioned 65-59 lead with 10 seconds on the clock and despite the pull-up missile from Washington beyond-the-arc got the Islanders yet again within a possession, they ran out of time to complete a comeback.
The Islanders will look to bounce back from the tough road weekend, returning home next Saturday to host Texas A&M-Commerce at 3:30 p.m. They beat the Lions 69-54 in the first meeting this year.
NOTES
- The Islanders still lead Nicholls in the all-time series, now at 14-10. The Islanders had won the last four meetings, beginning the streak with a 71-64 win in the semifinals of the 2022 SLC Tournament to advance to the championship en route to winning the title.
- It is the sixth time this season that the Islanders had less than 10 turnovers, and fourth in conference play. They continue to rank second in the league in turnover margin.
- Clark registered his 15
th double figure scoring game of the year and second in a row. He has either recorded 10+ points or 10+ rebounds in nine SLC game this season, recording a double-double in four of them. He leads the team in both points and rebounds per game.
- Dease submitted his sixth double digit scoring game of the year, 11
th in his career, and second in conference play this season.
- Wright-Forde turned in his 12
th double figure scoring game of the year, second in a row, and sixth in conference play this year. He is one of two Islanders averaging 10+ points this year, improving to 10.3 per outing.
Stay Social
For all the latest on Islanders Men's Basketball, be sure to follow the team on Twitter (
@Islanders_MBB), Instagram (
@IslandersMBB) and "like" the team's official Facebook page (
IslandersMBB).
#ShakasUp
