AggieJohn
11-09-2005, 09:08 AM
http://mas.scripps.com/CCCT/2005/11/09/p-6isles1109_e.jpg
On a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi basketball team rife with guards, it was the players on the low blocks who made the biggest impressions in the team's first exhibition game.
The Islanders post combination of Mike Williams and Chris Daniels balanced well with forward Cedric Smith. The trio combined for 46 points and more than 15 rebounds as A&M-Corpus Christi downed Texas A&M-Kingsville 73-59 in front of a crowd of 1,896 Tuesday night at the American Bank Center.
It was the third consecutive exhibition meeting between the two teams, and the second in a row won by the Islanders.
As A&M-Corpus Christi coach Ronnie Arrow was looking for what lineups would work well, he found stability in the post. Newcomer Williams, a transfer who has been at St. Joseph's and in the junior college ranks, started and scored 11 points.
While Williams was consistent, Daniels, who came off the bench for Williams and had a game-high 19 points, and Smith were sparkplugs. Scoring seven Islanders points in a row, Daniels keyed a 14-3 first-half run that erased a seven-point deficit.
"I thought Cedric and Chris got in there and did a good job," Arrow said. "Overall, I thought our big guys rebounded, but we have to keep working on rebounding."
At the start of the second half, the Islanders, nursing a 37-36 lead, tore off an 11-0 run, with Smith scoring six. Later in the half, Daniels ran off eight consecutive A&M-Corpus Christi points to keep the Islanders up by double digits throughout the second half.
"When I was playing in practice against (former A&M-Corpus Christi post) Corey Lamkin, I took a beating," said the 7-foot Daniels. "Man, I took a beating. That really got me experience.
"Mike and Ced went after it," Daniels said. "Mike, from where he came from, he really did a good job. Oh my God, Ced, he could have had 30, 35 points. He was way more athletic."
Williams wished he could have pulled down more rebounds, but was happy with the performance.
"This was my first game with the team, so I let it come to me. I didn't force anything," Williams said. "They did a good job getting us the ball. Got to get more rebounds, because I had a couple slip out of my hands. Learning curve."
The Division II Javelinas were on a learning curve as well. A&M-Kingsville had nowhere near the depth displayed by the Islanders. The Javelinas were missing two players, and the rotation was hampered by two players who were in foul difficulty.
While Ricky Huckaby had 18 points and fellow guard Remi Yusuf chipped in 15, the tandem combined for only nine in the second half.
"We didn't want to say it before we came over here, but we were coming over with eight guys, and one's a freshman," Javelinas coach Pete Peterson said. "I thought one thing that would hurt us was foul trouble, and the turnovers in the first half got them fired up, and we've got to take care of those.
"They did a great job with their press," Peterson added. "Early in the season, and it's probably one of the things we spent the least amount of time on. I would press us. But, it will help us in the long run."
Arrow believes the game will help the Islanders over time, too. He liked the press, and the potential of a newer, faster A&M-Corpus Christi team.
"I thought our guards, for the most part, did a good job running it, but we got impatient early," Arrow said. "But it gives us a measuring stick. I thought the press this is a much quicker team than what we've had in the past. We've just got to use that quickness the right way."
Due to technical difficulties, a complete box was not made available Tuesday night.
A&M-K (59): Davis 2, Griffin 6, Lanauze 6, Huckaby 18, Yusuf 15, White 9, Flores 3.
A&M-CC (73): Smith 16, Engelken 6, Williams 11, Ervin 2, Mitchell 2, Slatnick 0, Washington 6, Mintz 7, Taylor 0, Daniels 19, White 2, Menifee 2, Nelson 0, Teague 0.
A&M-K3623 - 59
A&M-CC3736 - 73
Fouled out - Davis, Lanauze. A - 1,896.
On a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi basketball team rife with guards, it was the players on the low blocks who made the biggest impressions in the team's first exhibition game.
The Islanders post combination of Mike Williams and Chris Daniels balanced well with forward Cedric Smith. The trio combined for 46 points and more than 15 rebounds as A&M-Corpus Christi downed Texas A&M-Kingsville 73-59 in front of a crowd of 1,896 Tuesday night at the American Bank Center.
It was the third consecutive exhibition meeting between the two teams, and the second in a row won by the Islanders.
As A&M-Corpus Christi coach Ronnie Arrow was looking for what lineups would work well, he found stability in the post. Newcomer Williams, a transfer who has been at St. Joseph's and in the junior college ranks, started and scored 11 points.
While Williams was consistent, Daniels, who came off the bench for Williams and had a game-high 19 points, and Smith were sparkplugs. Scoring seven Islanders points in a row, Daniels keyed a 14-3 first-half run that erased a seven-point deficit.
"I thought Cedric and Chris got in there and did a good job," Arrow said. "Overall, I thought our big guys rebounded, but we have to keep working on rebounding."
At the start of the second half, the Islanders, nursing a 37-36 lead, tore off an 11-0 run, with Smith scoring six. Later in the half, Daniels ran off eight consecutive A&M-Corpus Christi points to keep the Islanders up by double digits throughout the second half.
"When I was playing in practice against (former A&M-Corpus Christi post) Corey Lamkin, I took a beating," said the 7-foot Daniels. "Man, I took a beating. That really got me experience.
"Mike and Ced went after it," Daniels said. "Mike, from where he came from, he really did a good job. Oh my God, Ced, he could have had 30, 35 points. He was way more athletic."
Williams wished he could have pulled down more rebounds, but was happy with the performance.
"This was my first game with the team, so I let it come to me. I didn't force anything," Williams said. "They did a good job getting us the ball. Got to get more rebounds, because I had a couple slip out of my hands. Learning curve."
The Division II Javelinas were on a learning curve as well. A&M-Kingsville had nowhere near the depth displayed by the Islanders. The Javelinas were missing two players, and the rotation was hampered by two players who were in foul difficulty.
While Ricky Huckaby had 18 points and fellow guard Remi Yusuf chipped in 15, the tandem combined for only nine in the second half.
"We didn't want to say it before we came over here, but we were coming over with eight guys, and one's a freshman," Javelinas coach Pete Peterson said. "I thought one thing that would hurt us was foul trouble, and the turnovers in the first half got them fired up, and we've got to take care of those.
"They did a great job with their press," Peterson added. "Early in the season, and it's probably one of the things we spent the least amount of time on. I would press us. But, it will help us in the long run."
Arrow believes the game will help the Islanders over time, too. He liked the press, and the potential of a newer, faster A&M-Corpus Christi team.
"I thought our guards, for the most part, did a good job running it, but we got impatient early," Arrow said. "But it gives us a measuring stick. I thought the press this is a much quicker team than what we've had in the past. We've just got to use that quickness the right way."
Due to technical difficulties, a complete box was not made available Tuesday night.
A&M-K (59): Davis 2, Griffin 6, Lanauze 6, Huckaby 18, Yusuf 15, White 9, Flores 3.
A&M-CC (73): Smith 16, Engelken 6, Williams 11, Ervin 2, Mitchell 2, Slatnick 0, Washington 6, Mintz 7, Taylor 0, Daniels 19, White 2, Menifee 2, Nelson 0, Teague 0.
A&M-K3623 - 59
A&M-CC3736 - 73
Fouled out - Davis, Lanauze. A - 1,896.