CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team opened play inside the Dugan Wellness Center tonight as they hosted Dallas Christian for the home opener. The Islanders put on a show for the crowd in attendance, as they got up and down on the Crusaders on their way to a 102-58 win. The victory moves their record to 2-1 on the season.
The Islanders got off to a slower start offensively, as they struggled from behind the three-point line and didn't take advantage of their trips to the free-throw line. The Crusaders were able to stay within striking distance as they connected on 9-of-17 from three. However, as the half went on, the Islander dominated play in the paint and on the glass.Â
"I am proud of our student-athletes tonight," said head coach
Jim Shaw. "Our guys played for the full 40 minutes and went until the final buzzer. A chance to get everyone into the game and play at least ten minutes tonight. Those guys have been practicing really hard and deserve it."
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10 different Islanders scored in the first half, led by
Dan Mukuna, who had eight points in the first 20 minutes of play.
Khi Wallace and
Lamin Foon scored seven and six points off the bench as they were constantly playing above the rim. Corpus Christi shot 41.9 percent from the floor and were matched by the Crusaders at 41.7 percent, but the Islanders out-rebounded the Crusaders 34-12 in the half, and took 43 shots to just 24 for Dallas Christian. Despite the slower start, the Islanders were still able to build a 46-28 lead at the half.
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The second half was all Islanders as they outscored the visitors 56-30. The Islanders shot 68 percent from the field as they had run after run at the rim and put on a show for the crowd with multiple high-level dunks. Wallace scored 11 of his game-high 18 points as he went 8-of-10 from the field and pulled down seven rebounds.Â
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All 14 Islanders who entered the game scored, including the first baskets of the season for freshmen
Lamin Foon and Lacori Jones, who finished with 10 and seven points each. The Islanders outscored the Crusaders 72-14 in the paint and 71-22 in bench points, as they pulled down 24 offensive rebounds. They closed the game on a 20-0 run, as they came away with a 102-58 win.
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The Islanders are back in action on Friday night, when they hit the road to face Florida State at 4 p.m.. The Seminoles are 2-1 on the season after a home loss to Florida tonight.Â
FOLLOW THE ISLANDERS
For the latest news and information on Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball, visit the official website for Islanders Athletics at goislanders.com. Fans can also follow the Islanders on social media at @Islanders_MBB (Twitter), and @islandersmbb (Instagram). Support Islanders men's basketball by giving to the Islanders Sports Excellence Fund as the Islanders celebrate the 20th anniversary of their first NCAA Tournament Appearance
here.
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