Palmer, Islanders outduel Haynes, UT Arlington
KATY, Texas ? The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men’s basketball team held off a furious rally from UT Arlington for a, 79-72 victory at the Merrell Center on Thursday. With the win, the No. 4-seed Islanders advance into the semifinal round of the State Farm Southland Conference Basketball Tournament where they will take on top-seeded Stephen F. Austin at 8:33 p.m. on Friday.
In a game that featured two prolific scoring nights from Kevin Palmer and Marquez Haynes, it was the Islanders’ Newcomer of the Year and his career-high 35 points that helped to dethrone the No. 5-seeded reigning tournament champions. A&M-Corpus Christi (18-14) never trailed in the final 13:56 of the game, taking the lead for good at 43-41 when Palmer drove to the lane and despite contact converted a short jumper. The Islanders extended their lead to as many as 13 points before the Mavericks began to rally back.
Fueled by Haynes, who also netted a career high and was the game’s leading scorer with 36 points, and Anthony Vereen, UT Arlington charged back into contention. The Mavericks (16-14) cut the deficit to three points three times in the final 3:48, the last time coming with just 19 seconds remaining in regulation after Haynes converted a bonus free throw following a successful drive into the lane. The Islanders wouldn’t budge from that point on, and Palmer finished off the game with an exclamation point by scoring the final four points on two free throws and an emphatic dunk.
In the first half, UT Arlington held an advantage for the opening 9:40, which included a quick 5-0 run to start the game. The Mavericks retook the lead 12 minutes into the opening half and had another five-point lead at 25-20 on a steal and layup from Dwight Gentry II. Minutes later, the Islanders jumped into the lead with a triple from Palmer, and they took a 32-27 advantage into the intermission.
In addition to Palmer’s career night, which included five rebounds and three steals, the Islanders got solid contributions from Shamar Coombs, who had 14 points, and Horace Bond, who netted 13. Vereen’s second-half run allowed him to finish his UT Arlington career with an 18-point performance, but no other Mavericks finished the game scoring in double figures.