Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Shorthanded Isles claim exhibition win

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Sunday, November 5, 2000

Shorthanded Isles claim exhibition win
Without three starters, A&M-CC women defeat Houston Jaguars, 67-53
By Matt Young
Caller-Times

George Tuley/Caller-Times

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Jessie Monlux protects the ball Saturday during the Islanders’ exhibition victory over the Houston Jaguars, 67-53.

Exhibition games are all about learning. On Saturday, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women's basketball team learned a few new things and were reminded of something it knew all along.
   With three starters sidelined with injuries, the Islanders learned that depth, something they sorely missed last season, is definitely a good thing. The Islanders also found out they have a couple freshman that should have an immediate impact this season.
   As for the reminder, it was Jean Clark refreshing her team's memory that she can still take over games.
   While the Islanders found out a lot about themselves, they also figured out a way to get a win, beating the Houston Jaguars 67-53 in their exhibition opener in front of 1,050 fans at Memorial Coliseum.
   Clark led A&M-Corpus Christi with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Shanta Johnson, a former star at Louisiana Tech, led the Jaguars with 13 points.
   "I think we played pretty well considering it was the first game," Islanders coach Sheryl Estes said. "There were times when the game got sloppy, but I think that's pretty typical of the first exhibition game."
   Although the Houston Jaguars were a bit unorganized, they did have quite a bit of talent. The Jaguars starting backcourt consisted of Marla Brumfield and LaCharlotte Smith, who both played in the WBNA last season. However, Brumfield and Smith struggled, shooting a combined 4-for-22.
   "I was impressed because they were such an athletic team, but we still handled them pretty well," Estes said. "Their athleticism allowed them to get their hands on a lot of passes, but it didn't take us too much out of our game."
   Starters Kristin Rogers (ankle), Detra Johnson (knee) and Rocky Grayson all sat out with injuries, which allowed every Islander to log plenty of minutes.
   Freshmen Anna Hartzell and ShaKayla Hawkins took advantage of the playing time, showing flashes of why they both have pushed for starting jobs in the preseason.
   Hartzell, who started at center, scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Hawkins, who came off the bench to log 17 minutes at point guard, scored seven points.
   "I thought they both played really well," Estes said. "Shakayla played with a lot of confidence and Anna played real hard throughout the game."
   Hawkins looked adept at running the team's transition offense, twice pulling up on a fast break to drill short jumpers.
   "I felt real confident out there," Hawkins said. "This is different from high school, but it's still basketball. I'm still adjusting, but I felt pretty comfortable out there."
   The Islanders trailed 36-33 at halftime, but they came out and put up 12 straight points in the second half to open a big lead. The Jaguars never got within seven points after the big Islander run. Much of that run was keyed by some big plays by Clark, who was second on the team in scoring last season.
   "The lane was just wide open a lot of the times when I scored; it wasn't like I was having to make any outstanding moves to get to the basket," Clark said. "We won, but I actually think we could have played even better. I think we all have some high expectations for this team."
   The Islanders play their final exhibition game Friday at the coliseum. The regular season begins against Texas-Arlington on Nov. 18 at the coliseum.



Staff writer Matt Young can be reached at 886-3702 or by e-mail at youngm@caller.com

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