The Islanders Pull Through for a Championship Win
The Texas A&M Corpus Christi Men’s basketball team are our Southland Conference Champions! Photographer Kellie Heron
March 9, 2023
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Men’s basketball program has clinched an 83-75 win against the Northwestern State Demons during their 2023 Homecoming game.
The Islanders have also been crowned the regular season champions for the Southland Conference and will go on to the Jersey Mikes Southland Basketball Championship in Lake Charles, Louisiana with a first-seed spot
After an early layup in the first half by Jalen Jackson, the Islanders were swiftly confronted by the Demon’s offense who wouldn’t lay off the pressure for the rest of the half and would score 39 points.
“At the onset of the game, we were a little timid offensively,” Texas Texas A&M Corpus Christi head coach Steve Lutz said.
The Islanders then entered the second half with a score of 34-39, a five-point deficit. But after a three-pointer from senior, De’Lazarus Keys, the ball was in their court.
“Man, it was a big basket that he made,” Lutz said. “I breathed a sigh of relief when that one went in.”
Following Keys’ three-pointer, the Islanders racked up points with 3 free-throws by senior Jalen Jackson and 19 by senior Issac Musila.
“I’m glad I made a few [three-pointers] in the second half,” Mushila said.
While battling on the court, the Islanders also had to combat Demarcus Sharp, a senior guard from Northwestern State who was able to score 40 points on the team.
“We put Owen [Dease] on [Sharp]. We put Jalen [Jackson] on him. We put Terrion [Murdix] on him,” Lutz said. “And hopefully, the culmination of all of those guys guarding him aggressively wore him down.”
The Islanders ended the game with five players scoring in the double digits: senior Issac Mushila, senior Trevian Tennyson, senior Jalen Jackson, senior Terrion Murdix, and senior De’Lazarus Keys. Mushila and Tennyson also broke school records for free-throws and three-pointers, respectively.
The 2022-2023 men’s basketball program is now 20-10 overall, and 13-4 in the Southland Conference. The team closed out their night with 35 rebounds, 18 assists, 8 3-pointers, and a 46.2 field goal percentage.
“This isn’t about me. It’s about the players, it’s about our community, our university, and the Coastal Bend,” Lutz said. “These guys deserve it. They work really, really hard, and there is nothing better than sharing it with your friends and family,”
For more information about the TAMU-CC men’s basketball program, please visit Men’s Basketball – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Athletics.
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