CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – On a day of celebration, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team tacked on one more reason to celebrate as they nearly went wire to wire for a 68-54 win over Southeastern Saturday in the American Bank Center.
The Islanders (18-13, 11-8 SLC) got it done on both sides of the floor tonight to post the +14 scoring margin and limit Southeastern (18-12, 12-7 SLC) to a mere 54 points. It helped inch the Islanders within striking distance of a potential first-round bye for the Southland Conference Tournament as the end of the regular season nears.
It is the 15
th time this year that the Islanders shot above 50.0 percent from the field. Entering tonight, only 13 other teams in Division I NCAA have recorded 15+ games shooting over 50.0 percent this season.
It was a complete game for the Islanders who posted nearly identical halves for the consistent play. They spread the ball, assisting on 17 of their 27 made field goals with three players coming away in double figures. On the boards, they outrebounded the Lions 41-29 including 30-17 on the defensive glass.
Those three players were all seniors who were recognized pregame in a special Senior Day presentation.
Garry Clark led all scorers with 16 points after bucketing eight made field goals.
Owen Dease scored 12 with the help of two long-range shots.
Jaden Walker especially had himself a day, coming away with the double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. In addition, he stuffed his stat line with four assists and two blocks.
Clark has scored double figures in 30 of the 31 games this season. It marks Dease's 13
th 10+ scoring game of the year and fourth for Walker. It is also Walker's first double-double as an Islander.
The Islanders will now look to finish out the regular season on a high note, taking on New Orleans Monday at 7 p.m. in the finale. They are still fighting for seeding in the Southland Conference Tournament, set for March 9-12 in Lake Charles, Louisiana.
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