A&M-Corpus, New Orleans advance
KATY — Two college teams near the Gulf Coast have traveled inland — at least as far as Fort Bend County — in search of an elusive NCAA Tournament bid.
One will find that postseason gold on Saturday night in the Merrell Center. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi defeated Stephen F. Austin State 77-69 on Friday night in the semifinals of the Southland Conference tournament.
The second-seeded Islanders will face topseeded New Orleans at 8:30 p.m. Saturday for the league tournament title and automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
‘Unfinished business’
The Privateers (19-11), who defeated Sam Houston State earlier Friday in the semifinals, are seeking their first NCAA Tournament appearance in more than 20 years (1996) and their fifth overall. The Islanders (20-10), led by former Rice coach Willis Wilson, are trying to make the NCAA postseason for the first time in a decade, and their second overall.
“It’s been a long time coming for us to hit our peak,” Wilson said.
Corpus Christi held a 13-point halftime lead over SFA (18-13) thanks mostly to Rashawn Thomas’s sharp shooting. Thomas, a two-time all-first team SEC player, finished with 27 points, and the Islanders held a double-digit lead for most of the second half.
SFA decided it wasn’t done yet, however, and cut the Islanders’ lead to 65-60 late in the contest. The 6-8 Thomas, who led the league in both scoring and rebounding, coolly sank a 3-pointer to give Corpus Christi a little breathing room at 68-60 with just under three minutes remaining.
“I just had to be confident releasing the ball,” Thomas said.
The Lumberjacks, who had won the last three Southland tournament titles, beat Corpus Christi in last year’s title game, so the Islanders have touted Saturday’s championship bout as “unfinished business.”
“It’s been a big giant over our heads,” Thomas said. “This is big time for this team.”
Fresh legs prevail
In Friday’s earlier semifinal, the Privateers cruised past fifth-seeded SHSU 75-63. The Bearkats whittled a 19-point deficit to 66-60 with two minutes remaining before New Orleans closed out the game on a 9-3 run.
The Privateers earned the top seed after finishing 13-5 in regular-season league play. New Orleans entered Friday with a 1-2 all-time record in the Southland tournament after joining the league in 2013.
The Bearkats (21-13) were trying to make their first NCAA Tournament since 2010. Erik Thomas led New Orleans with 18 points, and Dakarai Henderson led SHSU with 16.
Sam Houston was playing its third game of the tournament after victories against Central Arkansas and Houston Baptist on Wednesday and Thursday, while the refreshed Privateers were playing their first.
“Wearing them down was a key to our plan,” said New Orleans guard Christavious Gill, who added 15 points. That plan worked. “(The Privateers) came out really hungry, and they took it to us,” Bearkats coach Jason Hooten said. “We just didn’t really recover, to be honest.”