A&M-Corpus Christi Women Reach First Tournament Final
By Brandon C. Williams
Southland.org
KATY, Texas - Three years after the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team won their first Southland Conference Tournament final, the Islanders' women's basketball team find itself a win away from achieving the same feat.
Clutch free-throw shooting and an inspired second half of defense triggered third-seed A&M-Corpus Christi to a 74-66 win over Northwestern State in Thursday afternoon's first semifinal at Merrell Center, securing a berth in Friday's final against the winner of either Texas-Arlington or Lamar.
"The kids really stepped it up," said Islanders coach Randy Robinson. "I knew they could do it, and they knew they could do it as well."
The Islanders managed just one field goal in the final 8:48, but delivered from the charity stripe.
A&M-Corpus Christi hit 28 of 35 free throws on the afternoon, including their last six in the final 56 seconds to improve to 22-9 on the season.
The ability to get to the line offset what was a sluggish afternoon offensively for the Islanders, who shot just 32 percent (20 of 62) from the field. Northwestern State (15-16) threw a variety of defensive schemes to slow down A&M-Corpus Christi, which scored 99 points in a quarterfinal win over Sam Houston State on Tuesday.
"I couldn't ask for more of an effort," said Demons coach Jennifer Graf. "Our team bought into the idea that everyone was 0-0 going into the tournament. They bought into a new life and it showed in the way we played."
What hurt Northwestern State was the Islanders' ability to dominate the glass. A&M-Corpus Christi outrebounded the Demons by a 48-34 margin, but it was on the offensive glass which proved to be the difference. The Islanders had 21 offensive boards, which led to them having a commanding 20-5 edge in second half points.
No play highlighted the Islanders' effort better when Deziree Green scored after grabbing her own rebound after missing a free throw. The play came at the 10:25 mark and gave A&M-Corpus Christi a 55-52 lead.
"That's something that has been a problem for us all season long," Graf said of the Demons rebounding issues. "A&M hit the boards real hard...they were like piranhas on the glass. They'd miss a shot and there would be someone grabbing for it."
The Islanders' defensive effort in the second half helped stall off an upset bid by the Demons, who shot just 26 percent in the second half after shooting a blistering 61 percent in the first.
Northwestern State's offense clicked on all cylinders in an opening 20 minutes which saw five ties, including Brooke Shepard's layup at the horn which evened matters at 40-40 at intermission.
The Demons' duo of Anna Cate Williams and Jessica McPhail each scored 11 points in the first half, but the pair was held to a combined six points after halftime.
"I just tried to keep the ball out of (Williams') hands," said Islanders guard Shaye Montgomery.
Northwestern State was able to move with 70-66 on a pair of Sherrion Thomas free throws with 44 seconds left, but was unable to get a much-needed basket to draw closer.
Jade Davis led A&M-Corpus Christi with 19 points, while Montgomery added 14. Anitra Jeffery had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Lauren Smith added 10 points for the Islanders.
Williams led the Demons with 15 points, while Thomas and McPhail had 13 each.a