CINCINNATI — Texas A&M–Corpus Christi hung close early but couldn't keep pace with Xavier's second-half surge in an 88–67 loss Friday at Cintas Center, closing out the Islanders' Division I nonconference schedule.
The Islanders (2-5) trailed just 43–33 at halftime after shooting 42% from the field and attacking the paint, but Xavier (5-3) opened the second half on a 10–0 run that widened the gap for good. A&M–Corpus Christi battled to trim the margin late behind its bench, which contributed 30 points, but the early second-half run proved too much to overcome.
A&M–Corpus Christi grabbed an early 5–2 lead behind a pair of buckets from
Sheldon Williams and Nicholas Shogbonyo. The Islanders kept pace through the first media timeout, still ahead 8–4 after
D'Avian Houston drew the and-one. But Xavier responded with a spark from back-to-back transition plays that pushed the Musketeers ahead 19–10.
Franck Yetna stopped the Xavier run with the bucket inside, and Shogbonyo followed with a jumper to bring the Islanders back within five.
Cenker Evran provided a lift off the bench with a pair of inside finishes, and a late three from
Cedric Horton trimmed the deficit to 10 before halftime.
Xavier created separation after the break with A&M–Corpus Christi attempting to steady the pace behind baskets from
Bryson Wheatfall and Shogbonyo, but the Musketeers continued to score in transition. Xavier built its largest lead of 27 at the 5:32 mark but the Islanders countered with a 6–0 run on buckets from Williams, Horton, and
Kobi Pearson, but Xavier maintained control down the stretch.
Houston led the Islanders with 13 points, adding three assists. Shogbonyo added nine points and nine rebounds, and Williams scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. Horton posted seven points and
Jaden Haire supplied seven points off the bench.
The Islanders conclude their time on the road for the nonconference schedule, with two final matchups coming at home during the month of December. The SLC slate will begin adding to the mix, however, with the first contest coming next weekend at Lamar for the Islanders.
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