THIBODEAUX, La. – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team just came up short in a full-court battle, dropping 70-67 to Nicholls Thursday night at David R. Stopher Gym.
A&M-Corpus Christi (14-7, 7-3 SLC) held as much as a 10-point lead at 45-35 in the third, but Nicholls (11-11, 5-5 SLC) battled back to take a lead going into the fourth. The Islanders tried a fast approach in the fourth, making all three of its first field goal attempts but the Colonels were able to hold their slight edge to end on top by three.
The offensive clash was evident as the Islanders shot their second-best field goal percentage in SLC play this year with a 46.2 mark. Though, it was Nicholls' three-point shooting that got them past the Islanders as they shot 34.6 percent from beyond-the-arc, making four more threes than A&M-Corpus Christi.
The Islanders outrebounded the Colonels 33-29. A&M-Corpus Christi grabbed 11 steals and converted off turnovers for 25 points.
Both graduate
Alecia Westbrook and senior
Paige Allen went 6-of-11 from the floor, turning in 18 and 16 points, respectively. Allen was 2-of-4 from long-range, as was junior
Jaeda Whitner.
Nicholls was paced by the 21-point performance from Lexi Alexander, a familiar name on the Southland's top-10 leading scorers list. She went 7-of-10 from the field and was a perfect 7-of-7 from the free throw line.
The Islanders were always responsive in the first, staying within one off the back of Allen's made free throw at 4:35. Thought, the Colonels created some separation to go up 15-7 before Allen laid it in with 36 seconds to go to cut into that lead. Westbrook beat the clock and drew the last second foul to tack on two more points for the Islanders.
The offensive finally got sparked in the second for A&M-Corpus Christi as junior
Maya Ellis drilled the three for its first lead at 16-15, capping a 9-0 run that got extended between quarters. Westbrook kept it tied at 20 after answering both of Nicholls' before the Islanders finally pulled in front off a pair of driving layups by senior
Violeta Verano and Allen. The Colonels didn't allow much, as the three-pointer from Whitner had to get the Islanders back up 30-27.
Allen came out of the half and sank the long-range shot for the 35-30 lead. Senior
Mireia Aguado scored on the takeaway to up it to 37-30 with 7:57 to go. Whitner then went deep again and extended A&M-Corpus Christi's lead to 10 as Nicholls called the timeout at 45-35. It helped the Colonels regroup from beyond-the-arc as they got back on the court to make a trio of threes to pull back ahead 51-49 after the third.
Junior
Nabaweeyah McGill connected on her first two shots in the fourth as the Islanders stayed in it 55-55. McGill netted the jumper at 5:21 to keep A&M-Corpus Christi evened with Nicholls at 59 and the free throw from Verano gave them their last lead of the night despite Westbrook's late inside shot getting them within one with six seconds to go.
The Islanders will look to shake this one off before heading to McNeese to play Saturday at 1 p.m.
NOTES
- The Islanders still lead Nicholls in the all-time series, now holding a 15-10 advantage. They have won seven of the last 10 meetings, including in a 58-52 win earlier this season as the teams split the yearly series for the first time since the 2016-17 season.
- The Islanders have scored at least 50 points in every game this year, the first time since 2013-14 that the Islanders have scored at least that many in each of the first 20 games of the season. It is the first time this year that the Islanders didn't win after scoring over 60 points.
- A&M-Corpus Christi entered the game leading the league in assists (13.70) and steals (11.40). They were near or above par in both, with 15 assists and 11 steals against the Colonels.
- Westbrook submitted her 12
th double figure scoring game of the year, 73
rd in her career, and sixth in conference play this season. Tonight marked her 99
th consecutive career start.
- Allen registered her 10
th double digit scoring game of the year, 41
st in her career, and fifth in the last six games. Her 16 points is her season-high, previously set at 15 against HCU on Jan. 3. In addition, she has grabbed at least six rebounds in every SLC game this year.
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