A&M-CC Mens Basketball Update

[District303aPastPlayer]

ISLANDERS HIT 20-WIN PLATEAU WITH WIN OVER HUSTON-TILLOTSON



(02/23/05)


The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men’s basketball team hit a milestone in their young history by winning their 20th game of the season with a 99-67 blowout of Huston-Tillotson, giving the five Islander seniors a fine farewell.

The Islanders (20-8) had five players score in double figures and for the first time this season had two players tally a double-double as Corey Lamkin had a game-high 26 points with 11 rebounds, while Thomas Bailey had 10 points and 13 rebounds. Lamkin finished the night hitting 11-14 shots and four of four from the free throw line.

The five seniors, consisting of Thomas and Travis Bailey, Nick Jackson, Corey Lamkin and Corey Stokes, combined to score 67 points with 34 rebounds. Travis Bailey ended his career as the third leading scorer in school history after pouring in 15 points, while Chris Daniels had 11 points. Corey Stokes and Thomas Bailey had 10 points each as Bailey recorded his first double-double of the season.

A&M-Corpus Christi could not shake the Rams through most of the first half as they had just a 10-point lead, 33-23, with 7:45 to play in the opening half. The Islanders finally pulled away after going on a 12-4 run capped off by a made free throw by Lamkin with 4:06 to play in the half to push the Isles to a 45-27 lead.

Both teams would exchange buckets midway through the second half until A&M-Corpus Christi went on a 11-5 run to hold a 27-point lead which they would hold throughout.

Huston-Tillotson (3-23) had three players hit double-digit points with Doyle Cole leading the team with 14 points. Justin Ballou and Kaymum Williams had 13 and 10 points respectively for the Rams.

The 20 wins for the Islanders marks a school record after winning 15 games a year ago for their first winning season in school history.
Looking back, the Islanders took wins over Old Dominion, who has lost just three times this season and is almost a lock for the NCAA tournament, as well as Florida State, who upset Wake Forest earlier in the year.

The 2004-05 season also saw head coach Ronnie Arrow capture his 500th career coaching victory as well as his 200th win as a NCAA Division I coach.

(www.goislanders.com)

[pirate44]

:clap:
did u get a look at the pic of Travis Bailey that the caller times took?
http://mas.scripps.com/CCCT/2005/02/24/p-5isles0224_e.jpg

[District303aPastPlayer]

i love that picture

[District303aPastPlayer]

Islanders get first 20-win season in school history

By Lee Goddard Caller-Times
February 24, 2005


The number that Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's seniors were aiming for had nothing to do with the 100 points the Islanders were fast approaching on the scoreboard.

It was all 20 - five seniors going for the first 20-victory season in A&M-Corpus Christi history.

With Huston-Tillotson as the opponent, that 20th victory seemed preordained, and it was, as the seniors were sent off in style with a 99-67 pounding of the Rams on Wednesday night at the American Bank Center.

It was an emotional evening for the seniors. As the final four seniors were pulled off the court with less than three minutes remaining - Nick Jackson had fouled out with more than 11 minutes left in the game - senior guard Travis Bailey bent down and drew his jersey up to his eyes, tearing up as he closed out his college basketball career.

"I've been with my guys for four or five years," said Bailey, who scored 15 points. "Just finishing it off, it was pretty cool. It was just sad because it had to end. But we knew it would end when we came here and started four years ago."

But it ended with a little flair. Four seniors - Bailey, his brother Thomas, Corey Lamkin and Corey Stokes - hit double figures, led by Lamkin's mammoth 26-point, 11-rebound showing on 11-of-14 shooting. Jackson scored six points in the first half and grabbed seven rebounds, but was unlucky with the fouls. Sophomore Chris Daniels tacked on 11 points.

Using an all-senior starting lineup for the only time this season, the seniors combined for 72 points, 34 of the team's 52 rebounds and 12 of the 25 assists.

The style points came into play during the second half.

Huston-Tillotson (3-23) held tough for 10 minutes before the blowout truly commenced, as the Islanders (20-8), who never trailed, grabbed a double-digit lead for good. Once into the second half, there were enough tricks and gimmicks to shame NBA All-Star Saturday Night.

Travis Bailey bounced a ball off the backboard that Lamkin followed with a jam. Bailey broke out a windmill slam and tossed a beautifully timed alley-oop that Lamkin dunked hard, rocking the backboard.

"We told each other we were going to showboat a little bit," Lamkin said. "We did a lot of that. Everybody came out, had a lot of fun. I wish we could go out and do it again, but it's got to end sometime."

The ending is tough for A&M-Corpus Christi coach Ronnie Arrow, who watches his deepest class of seniors leave the six-year-old program. The four seniors who played their entire college careers with the Islanders - Stokes transferred in as a junior - close out with 61 victories against 49 defeats. Along the way, they picked up victories against Atlantic Coast Conference competition, Big 12 teams and against TCU of Conference USA.

"It's going to be strange coming out here next year and not having the Corey Lamkins and the Baileys and Nick Jackson and Corey Stokes; especially the four who have been with us for four years," Arrow said. "Whatever we've been in this program, Corey Lamkin and the Baileys have been the backbone. When we recruited them and they came, I hope they feel like it's the best move they ever made."

It was bittersweet for the seniors. There was the excitement of 20 victories. But that was countered by playing their final game - not only in college, but perhaps for good.

"You've gone through most of your life playing basketball," said Thomas Bailey, who scored 10 points, hauled down 10 rebounds and dished off five assists. "To know this is your last opportunity, maybe the last game you play in organized basketball, it is a little depressing. I held it in as along as I could. I had a little trickle, but I held it in the best I could."

"My teammates and fans, I'll miss them all," Lamkin said. "I wish it wasn't my last game. But it ended well. We finished strong, had a great season. It was very emotional. The love that Corpus Christi has shown me and my teammates, what the coaching staff has done, you can never forget about it. I'll take it with me wherever I go."

(Contact Lee Goddard at 886-3613 or HYPERLINK "mailto:goddardl@caller.com" goddardl@caller.com)

[jason]

Originally posted by District303aPastPlayer
i love that picture that dude got posterized...

[District303aPastPlayer]

Originally posted by jason
that dude got posterized...

and it looks like one of the best posterized dunks ive seen in a while.

[pirate44]

he just needed to have his tongue sticking out

[raider red 2000]

will the islanders make the big dance?

[District303aPastPlayer]

unless the selection committee is feeling REALLY REALLY generous... no...

give them a few years, and a conference affiliation and they should turn into a decent mid major.

[Maroon87]

The NIT should give them a look, rather than take some middle of the pack Big 10 or SEC team. Of course, it's all about name recognition and the Isles have none, unfortunately. Hope they can get into the Sun Belt in the near future.