LAKE CHARLES, La. — The Texas A&M–Corpus Christi men's basketball team battled a top-two McNeese squad Saturday night but came up short, falling 81-68 at the Townsley Law Center.
The Islanders (14-14, 10-9 SLC) shot 44 percent from the field and connected on nine three-pointers, but McNeese (23-5, 16-3 SLC) used a strong second-half surge after the break to pull away. A&M–Corpus Christi also struggled to get to the free throw line the whole night against the physical Cowboys, mixed with some untimely turnovers which McNeese converted into 25 points caused the letdown.
It's an uncommon road conference loss for the Islanders, who had one of the best road mark in league play at 6-3 through the league slate entering the night.
The Islanders started with energy, getting early production from
Nick Shogbonyo and
Sheldon Williams to get up 8-0 early. Shogbonyo knocked down a pair of triples in the opening minutes, and Williams converted inside to pace A&M–Corpus Christi for a 15-14 edge midway through the first half.
McNeese answered with a run, but the Islanders stayed composed as
Franck Yetna scored on back-to-back possessions in the paint, and
D'Avian Houston's driving finish with 1:12 left in the half trimmed the deficit to 37-35. The Cowboys carried a 37-36 lead into the locker room after a tightly contested opening 20 minutes that featured five lead changes.
Out of the break, McNeese found separation behind an efficient stretch offensively, opening the half on a 10-2 run to create breathing room. The Islanders responded with a push of their own — Shogbonyo converted a fast-break layup and Houston followed with a mid-range jumper to cut the margin to 52-47 with 12:38 remaining.
Still within striking distance, A&M–Corpus Christi leaned on Yetna;s putback at the 8:41 mark to make it a six-point game, and Williams added a tough finish through contact minutes later to keep the Islanders within 61-55.
McNeese, however, answered each challenge. A late 9-0 stretch pushed the lead into double figures with under five minutes to play, and the Cowboys maintained control down the stretch to secure the victory.
Shogbonyo was the offensive producer for the Islanders with 20 points, including five buckets from beyond the arc. Houston added eight points and five assists while Gibson and Michelini-Jackson both contributed seven points.
The Islanders will see their final regular season road game on Monday at Southeastern before wrapping the slate next weekend at home. They are still fighting for seeding in the SLC Tournament with just the three games remaining.
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