LAKE CHARLES, La. – Daniel Michelini-Jackson of the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team delivered a career performance Monday night, pouring in 28 points to lift the Islanders to a 74-61 victory over New Orleans in the Southland Conference quarterfinals at the Legacy Center.
Michelini-Jackson led all scorers with 28 points on 10-of-12 shooting, including a perfect 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, while adding eight rebounds. Behind Michelini-Jackson's efficient shooting and a dominant effort on the glass, the No. 4 seeded Islanders controlled much of the contest against the fifth-seeded Privateers, who entered the matchup just one day removed from their first-round victory. A&M-Corpus Christi shot 52.8 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from three-point range while outrebounding New Orleans 41-29.
17 of the rebounds came on the offensive glass, their second most against a conference opponent this year. A&M-Corpus Christi's highest offensive rebounding performance came in the first meeting with New Orleans this year where they had pulled down 24.
The Islanders are now on a four-game winning streak, their longest of the season. The program is 73-10 over the last five seasons with holding their opponents to under 70 points and improves to 15-10 all-time in the Southland Conference tournament.
A&M-Corpus Christi set the tone early, opening the scoring when DA Houston knocked down a transition three-pointer at the 18:42 mark to give the Islanders a 3-0 lead. After New Orleans briefly grabbed a 4-3 advantage, Michelini-Jackson ignited the Islanders' offense, hitting a second-chance three with 16:10 remaining to put A&M-Corpus Christi back in front. He scored seven straight points for the Islanders midway through the half, including back-to-back threes at 9:46 and 9:25 that stretched the lead to 21-15 and forced a Privateer timeout.
A&M-Corpus Christi continued to build separation with strong work on the offensive glass.
Sheldon Williams converted a second-chance layup with 7:36 remaining before
Franck Yetna added a layup at the 6:59 mark to push the advantage to double digits at 27-17. Michelini-Jackson capped a scorching first half with another three-pointer at 3:14, giving the Islanders their largest lead of the period at 34-19. Williams followed with a triple at 2:37 to stretch the margin to 37-21 before New Orleans closed the half on a small run, trimming the deficit to 37-30 at the break.
The Privateers came out energized in the second half and quickly chipped away with a 9-2 stretch that pulled New Orleans within one, 39-38, just over three minutes into the half. Moments later, the Privateers saw their first lead since early in the game at 43-42.
The Islanders responded behind Michelini-Jackson who knocked down a mid-range jumper at 12:36 to tie the game at 46-46 before completing a three-point play seconds later to restore the lead. Houston added a three-pointer from the wing at the 11:50 mark to extend the advantage to 50-46, and Williams followed with a pair of baskets inside to help the Islanders regain control.
Nick Shogbonyo drained a second-chance three with 6:46 remaining to push the lead to 63-52, and Michelini-Jackson delivered the dagger with a fast-break three at the 4:03 mark that made it 68-58 as the Islanders never looked back.
In addition to Michelini-Jacksons' efforts, Williams finished with 15 points and six rebounds, and Houston added 11 points and six assists. Evran contributed four points, six rebounds and four assists, while Shogbonyo chipped in seven points and five rebounds as the Islanders advance to the semifinals for the fourth time in the last five years.
The Islanders will face top seeded SFA tomorrow night at 6 p.m. for a spot in Wednesday's championship. The game will be nationally televised on ESPNU.
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