CONWAY, Ark. _ Texas A&M-Corpus Christi had four players in double figures and knocked off the University of Central Arkansas Bears 81-66 in the Southland Conference opener on Thursday night at the Farris Center.
UCA (3-9, 0-1) staged a comeback late in the second half but could not overcome a poor shooting night from the field, and particularly from three-point range. The Bears, the third-best three-point shooting team in the league, made just 5 of 23 from beyond the arc (21.7 percent) and shot 39 percent overall.
The Islanders (4-10, 1-0) hit 50.9 percent from the field and got 48 points from their bench to improve to 8-1 in the career series against the Bears. UCA has won just one of its eight SLC openers since joining the league in 2006-07.
"I thought we took some quick shots, some quick threes that we didn't have to take tonight,' said UCA head coach Clarence Finley. "We wanted to get the ball to the basket but a lot of times we were just settling for the three. And we just had too many turnovers. Our point guard had six and our small forward had six. And some of them were unforced turnovers, a situation where we just didn't handle the ball well.
"They (Islanders) were focused and ready to play and we played about like we practiced all week, which wasn't good. Usually when we don't practice well, we play pretty well, but today we played just like we practiced.'
Down by as much as 18 points midway through the second half, the Bears pulled to within 70-62 with 2:47 to play. Freshman forward Jalen Jackson of Jacksonville turned in a four-point play, connecting on a free throw after a three-pointer with 3:09 left. Jackson led the Bears with 21 points, making three of UCA's five three-pointers.
Senior guard LaQuentin Miles, who added 19 points, scored consecutive baskets for the Bears, but A&M then outscored UCA 11-4 the rest of the way to pull away. The Islanders, who won their second straight game after losing four in a row, got 21 points from junior guard Johnathan Jordan and 18 from freshman forward Rashawn Thomas.
UCA, down 39-28 at halftime, shot a respectable 46.4 percent in the second half and made four of its five three-pointers. But the Islanders improved on their 50-percent shooting in the final 20 minutes (51.7) and also connected on 12 of 16 at the free-throw line to seal it.
"We just weren't ready to play,' Finley said. "We're a better ball club than we showed tonight, but you have to show up on game night. We just blew it tonight, we didn't play up to our capabilities. I thought I had them ready but I didn't.'
The Bears are at home again at 4:30 Saturday, hosting SLC newcomer Houston Baptist, an 88-55 loser to Oral Roberts on Thursday night.
