CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team solidified their standing in the conference with the regular season finale seeing a second-half surge to top East Texas A&M 84-71 Monday night in the Hilliard Center.
The Islanders entered the night with only one scenario getting them the fourth seed in next week's Southland Conference Tournament and took care of business on their own court. With Nicholls and New Orleans losing their Monday night games, the Islanders jumped up to secure that first-round bye to the quarterfinals.
Tonight's needed win was spurred by a dominant second half with the Islanders finishing the night shooting 51.7 percent (30-of-58) from the field and netted eight from three-point range. A&M-Corpus Christi won the rebounding battle 36-20 and turned 13 East Texas A&M turnovers into 22 points.
East Texas A&M jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the opening minutes before
Daniel Michelini-Jackson answered with the inside jumper to get the Islanders on the board. Three consecutive steals led to quick baskets in transition with
Kobi Pearson getting up at 13:40 for the putback slam to get the team within 15-13.
Another second chance opportunity came at 11:39 with
Cenker Evran getting the tip-in to reverse the score in favor of the Islanders 17-16. The teams traded baskets over the next stretch, with
Nick Shogbonyo burying another three at 5:47 to tie it at 30. After the Lions regained a brief edge,
D'Avian Houston knocked down the triple to end the half and put the Islanders ahead by one at the break (37-36).
The teams still stayed narrow with each other early in the second, but
Mason Gibson drilled a third-chance three to keep a 42-40 edge. It sparked the beginning of momentum for the home team who went off for a 9-0 run.
Sheldon Williams got in for a steal and drove down for a flush to make it 51-44 at 11:49 and
Franck Yetna went deep at 7:58 to retain a seven-point cushion.
The Lions kept trying to fight within a possession, but the Islanders kept answering. Shogbonyo hit another three and this time drew the foul with it, converting the four-point play for a 79-70 lead with 1:20 remaining. A pair of free throws from Williams and another long-range field goal from Michelini-Jackson closed out the night for the double figure margin.
Williams led the Islanders with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting, to go with seven rebounds. Shogbonyo added 16 points off four made threes, six rebounds, while Michelini-Jackson finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Evran chipped in eight rebounds including six on the offensive boards as A&M-Corpus Christi secured the crucial conference win and momentum heading into postseason play.
The Islanders will play Monday, March 9 at 5 p.m. in the quarterfinals against the winner of No. 5 New Orleans and No. 8 HCU. The winner will advance to face No. 1 SFA in the first semifinals Tuesday, aired on ESPNU.
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