CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – HBU women's basketball falls to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi by a one-point difference, 50-49 in Southland Conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon at American Bank Center.
HBU (6-13, 2-7 SLC) was led by junior guard
Amanda Johnson and sophomore forward
Lauren Calver. Johnson shot 36.4 percent from the floor and 3-of-5 from the 3-point range with 13 points, four boards and two assists. Calver shot 50.0 percent from the floor with 12 points, four rebounds and four assists. Junior center
Natalia Gwarda contributed with eight points, eight boards, two assists, two blocks, and two steals. Sophomore guard
Sophie Taylor added seven points, while sophomore guard
Sydney Carr put up six points.
The Huskies shot 33.3 percent from the field, 5-of-10 from behind the arc and 8-of-10 from the stripe. They outrebounded the Islanders 40-39 and dominated in the paint 24-18.
The Islanders were led by Uri Jolivette and Lajaneira Robinson, who each racked up 11 points. Jolivette brought down 10 rebounds, had two assists and two steals. Dalesia Booth provided seven points, brought down five boards, had two blcoks and three steals, while Kre'Ana Henry provided five points.
Texas A&M-CC shot 29.3 percent from the field, 1-of-12 from the 3-point line and 15-of-19 from the free-throw line.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was the first to score from the free-throw line with that being the only time the Islanders scored for the next five minutes. The Huskies scored the next nine points highlighted by a three-pointer from Calver and a layup from Gwarda. The Islanders came back to follow with the next six points, decreasing the Huskies lead to only one, but Johnson and Taylor were able to push the Huskies up by eight. TAMU-CC cut the lead with the last four points to end the first, 16-12.
After Gwarda started the second quarter with a jumper, the Islanders responded an eight point run. Johnson took a shot from behind the arc to give the Huskies a one-point lead and was able to do it again, after the Islanders too the lead back from the line. Carr extended the lead by four with a bucket, but the Islander scored the last nine points of the half to take the lead, 31-26.
The Huskies opened the third quarter with a six point run thanks to buckets by Gwarda, Taylor and Carr. The Islanders scored two, before Johnson put up a shot from the 3-point range. After three scoreless minutes, TAMU-CC got a shot from the paint, but Johnson put a 3-pointer to take the lead back, 35-33. The Islander claimed the next seven points. Calver was able to get a shot off at the buzzed to enter the final quarter with a three-point disadvantage.
Gwarda was able to start the fourth quarter off with a bucket, but the Islanders put away seven points, before the Huskies could respond with a couple of shots from the free-throw line by Calver, which began a six-point spark by the Huskies. With less than a minute to go, the score was even. The Islanders took the lead by two. Calver was able to reduced their advantage to only one with a free-throw, but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi sealed the win with the next point.
The Huskies host Stephen F. Austin Wednesday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. in Sharp Gym, before traveling to take on Central Arkansas Wednesday, Feb. 7 and Nicholls Saturday, Feb. 10.
