THIBODAUX, La. – In a dramatic conference matchup, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team brought the edge it needed Saturday afternoon to outlast Nicholls 83-76 in a bruising battle at David R. Stopher Gymnasium to secure a much-needed league win.
The Islanders (13-11, 9-6 SLC) got one back on Nicholls (10-14, 9-6 SLC) as they shot a blistering 59.2 percent from the floor and 46.2 percent from 3-point range, scoring 46 points in the paint and getting 37 points from the bench in a game where momentum swung their way midway through the second half.
As the conference slate winds down, today's important result leads to a three-way tie for third place between the Islanders, Nicholls, and UTRGV. At least one will drop in the standings on Monday as the latter two play each other in two days while the Islanders head to face New Orleans who is only one game back from the trio.
From the opening tip, the Islanders set an aggressive tone.
Nick Shogbonyo knocked down a triple just 30 seconds in, and D.A. Houston pushed the pace early as A&M–Corpus Christi jumped out to a 21-11 lead behind strong interior finishes from
Franck Yetna and
Sheldon Williams. Nicholls countered with its own run midway through the half, trimming the margin to one, but the Islanders refused to give in.
Houston capped the first half with a driving layup in the final two seconds, sending A&M–Corpus Christi into the locker room with a 39-38 edge after a back-and-forth opening 20 minutes that featured six lead changes.
The second half turned into a grind as Nicholls briefly grabbed the lead early, but Williams and
Cenker Evran answered with buckets inside to steady the Islanders. With just over eight minutes left, Yetna went to work by scoring on consecutive possessions to tie the game at 60 before hammering home a dunk moments later to put A&M–Corpus Christi back in front following the 9-0 run.
That sparked the decisive stretch as Shogbonyo drilled a three with 2:39 remaining to push the lead to double digits, and the Islanders leaned into toughness down the stretch and closing the door from the stripe. A&M–Corpus Christi made 19 of 23 free throws overall, including a clutch run in the final minute to keep Nicholls at arm's length.
Shogbonyo led the Islanders with 17 points and nine rebounds. Yetna added 17 points of his own on efficient shooting, while Williams chipped in 10 points and seven rebounds. Houston finished with nine points and six assists.
The Islanders extend their trip in Louisiana to New Orleans now, facing off with the Privateers Monday night at 6:30 p.m.
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