CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Interstat) — The McNeese State women’s basketball team built a commanding early lead and defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 59-42 on Thursday night at American Bank Center. The Cowgirls led 28-12 at halftime after holding the Islanders to just 3 points in the first quarter. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi outscored McNeese State 21-16 in the final period but never threatened the lead. Arianna Patton scored 11 points and Lexi Alexander added 10 for McNeese State, which improved to 13-4 overall. K’Nari Holliday scored 10 points for the Islanders, who fell to 2-13. Attendance was 791.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Interstat) — The McNeese State Cowgirls used a dominant defensive performance over the first three quarters to build an insurmountable lead and cruise to a 59-42 victory over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders in a Southland Conference women’s basketball game Thursday night at the American Bank Center. McNeese State (13-4, 4-0 Southland) held the Islanders to a season-low 12 points in the first half, including just three in the opening quarter, to take control early and never looked back. The Cowgirls led 28-12 at halftime and extended the advantage to 43-21 after three quarters before Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (2-13, 0-4) managed a late surge in the final period. The game’s decisive stretch came from the opening tip. The Islanders, struggling with turnovers and cold shooting, went scoreless for the first six and a half minutes of play. McNeese State capitalized with a 9-0 run, sparked by free throws from Jalencia Pierre and an and-one layup by Lexi Alexander. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi did not record its first field goal until Samora Watson’s turnaround jumper with 4:11 remaining in the first quarter, by which point the Cowgirls had already established a commanding tone. McNeese State’s defense remained stifling in the second quarter, forcing eight more Islanders turnovers before the break. The Cowgirls held Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to just 3-of-22 shooting from the floor in the first half and a mere 1-of-12 from three-point range. Offensively, McNeese State was efficient, shooting 50% in the second quarter to steadily expand the margin. Arianna Patton and Lexi Alexander led a balanced scoring attack for the Cowgirls. Patton, a guard from Meridian, Mississippi, scored 11 points in just 15 minutes off the bench. Alexander, a 6-foot forward from Round Rock, Texas, added 10 points, also in a reserve role, contributing to a 27-8 advantage in bench points for McNeese State. Jalencia Pierre added eight points and three assists for the Cowgirls, while Carley Hamilton chipped in seven points. The McNeese State defense finished with 14 steals, led by three from Alexander, and forced 27 total Islanders turnovers, converting them into 23 points. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s offense finally found a rhythm in the fourth quarter, outscoring McNeese State 21-16, but the deficit was far too large to overcome. K’Nari Holliday, a 6-foot-2 freshman from Apopka, Florida, provided a bright spot for the Islanders, scoring all of her team-high 10 points in the second half and adding a block. Samora Watson finished with six points and seven rebounds. Marissa Shelton, who played a game-high 35 minutes for the Islanders, scored six points but was hampered by seven turnovers. Trinity Slocum distributed four assists for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. The victory extends McNeese State’s winning streak to four games as they remain unbeaten in conference play. The Cowgirls have now held their last three opponents under 45 points. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s losing streak reaches four games. An announced crowd of 791 at the American Bank Center saw the Islanders fall to 0-6 at home this season. McNeese State improved to 5-2 on the road. McNeese State continues its road trip Saturday at Texas-Rio Grande Valley. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will host Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday.

Preview: McNeese State Cowgirls at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Interstat) — A surging McNeese State squad will look to extend its winning streak against a struggling Texas A&M-Corpus Christi team when the Southland Conference women’s basketball foes meet Thursday night at the American Bank Center. The McNeese State Cowgirls (12-4, 4-0 SLC) enter on a five-game winning streak, including a dominant 77-55 conference victory over Southeastern Louisiana last Saturday. The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders (2-12, 1-3) have lost three straight and nine of their last ten. The matchup features a stark contrast in momentum. McNeese State has been fueled by efficient offense and defense, holding opponents to an average of 49.2 points during its current streak. The Islanders, meanwhile, are averaging just 56.1 points per game this season and are coming off a 49-65 loss at Northwestern State. A key player to watch is McNeese State’s Dakota Howard. The guard is coming off a season-high 23 points in just 23 minutes against Southeastern Louisiana and has scored in double figures in four of the last five games, including a 20-point performance at Incarnate Word on Dec. 29. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi will rely on guard Samora Watson, who has been a bright spot during the difficult season. Watson is averaging 15.8 points per game in conference play and erupted for 22 points in 38 minutes in the loss to Northwestern State. She also posted 24 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the Islanders’ 85-54 win over New Orleans on Dec. 31, their lone victory in the last six weeks. The Cowgirls have shown balance, with Allasia Washington and Arianna Patton combining for 24 points in the win over Southeastern Louisiana. For the Islanders, support for Watson will be crucial; K’Nari Holliday (10 points, 6 rebounds) and Chelsea Wooten were the only other players to score more than five points in the last outing. McNeese State won both meetings last season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CST Thursday. The Islanders will host Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday, while the Cowgirls travel to face Texas-Rio Grande Valley.