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Saturday, December 2, 2000

Islanders men ready to battle North Texas
More changes may be in store for A&M-CC lineup
By Mark Zuckerman
Caller-Times
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - It wasn't so much the fact that the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team lost Friday night. Sam Houston State, the Islanders' opponent in the first round of the Pizza Hut Classic at Southwest Missouri State, is one of the toughest teams on this year's schedule.
   No, what had to irk Ronnie Arrow and his players was their lackluster performance in the 88-63 loss to the Bearkats, one of A&M-Corpus Christi's worst showings since reviving its program last season.
   "I'm not sure it wasn't the most lack of effort I've ever had on any of my teams," said Arrow, a veteran coach of more than 30 years. "I'll take the blame for not getting them mentally ready. But this team has got to learn how to play physical."
   A&M-Corpus Christi (3-3) set a swath of records in the game, though all were for futility:
   The 25-point margin of defeat was the largest in the program's brief history, surpassing an 86-64 loss at Iowa State last December.
   The Islanders' 63-point offensive output was their worst ever after scoring 64 twice last year.
   And their shooting percentages (34.8 percent overall, 14.3 percent from 3-point range) were their lowest ever.
   "No one was ready to play," said forward Dustin Shultz, whose career-best 10 point showing was one of the lone bright spots for the Islanders. "Everybody was just expecting to win."
   A&M-Corpus Christi came out ice cold in the first half, missing 20 of 28 shots from the floor and allowing Sam Houston (3-2) to rattle off a 9-0 run to open up a 14-4 lead before the first media timeout at the 15:55 mark.
   Seemingly no one on the Islander roster could get a shot to fall at the Hammons Center-during a 7-minute stretch, they made just two shots from the field.
   "I thought we played well in the first half," Bearkats coach Bob Marlin said. "Our defense was outstanding."
   All that kept the Islanders in the game throughout the first half was Sam Houston's own offensive woes. The Bearkats went to the locker room shooting only 36 percent from the field (28 percent from 3-point range).
   When Arunas Drasutis drained a 3-pointer from the corner as the first half buzzer sounded, A&M-Corpus Christi went into halftime trailing only 34-29 and feeling it still could win.
   "We came in thinking we had a chance," said freshman Brian Hamilton, whose 15 points off the bench were a career high. "We needed to come back with more intensity than the first half, but we didn't do that. And we suffered."
   The Islanders still trailed by five with 16 minutes to play, but Sam Houston went on a 9-0 run that included four of Jeremy Burkhalter's game-high 19 points. Up 51-37, the Bearkats' lead never was threatened again.
   Michael Hicks led A&M-Corpus Christi with 19 points and nine rebounds, though the senior was not at his best and was in foul trouble again most of the night. Compounding matters was the ineffectiveness of fellow seniors Damian Kirkaldy, who failed to score and fouled out, and Lee Denmon, who managed just two points.
   With two of their top three players having off nights, the Islanders had little chance of winning.
   "Until they understand that, we're going to struggle," Arrow said. "They're seniors, they got the most playing time last year. And they're not coming ready to play."
   A&M-Corpus Christi will look to end its two-game winning streak and surpass the .500-mark again at 6:05 p.m. today against North Texas in the Classic's final round.

   SAM HOUSTON STATE (3-2) - Wall 5-11 0-1 14, Douglas 6-8 1-1 15, Brown 3-6 0-0 7, Barlow 2-4 2-2 7, Burkhalter 7-15 2-8 19, Parker 0-0 0-0 1, Sims 3-8 1-5 10, Watkins 0-0 0-0 0, Stephenson 2-5 1-2 7, Torres 0-0 0-0 0, Fobbs 0-4 0-0 0, Heinrich 0-0 0-0 0, Jordy 4-4 0-0 8. Totals 32-65 6-20 88.

   TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI (3-3) - Hicks 6-11 0-2 19, Shultz 5-6 0-0 10, Kirkaldy 0-4 0-0 5, Evans 3-11 0-2 6, Denmon 1-5 0-3 2, McBride 0-4 0-3 1, Drasutis 2-5 1-2 7, Atsbeha 0-9 0-6 4, Hamilton 6-11 2-3 15, Hemsley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-66 3-21 63.

   Halftime - Sam Houston State 34, A&M-Corpus Christi 29. 3-point goals - Sam Houston State 6-20 (Burkhalter 2-8, Douglas 1-1, Stephenson 1-2, Barlow 1-3, Sims 1-5, Wall 0-1), A&M-Corpus Christi 3-21 (Hamilton 2-3, Drasutis 1-2, Hicks 0-2, Evans 0-2). Fouled out - Kirkaldy. Rebounds - Sam Houston State 42 (Wall, Douglas 7), A&M-Corpus Christi 38 (Hicks 9). Assists - Sam Houston State 16 (Wall, Barlow 5), A&M-Corpus Christi 13 (Evans 5). Total fouls - Sam Houston State 20, A&M-Corpus Christi 24. A - NA (8,846).
   Staff writer Mark Zuckerman can be reached at 886-3747 or by e-mail at zuckermanm@caller.com

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