Corpus Christi Caller Times Caller.com - Islanders prepare for rematch with Cleveland St.

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Monday, February 5, 2001

Islanders prepare for rematch with Cleveland St.
Lineup changes likely as A&M-CC men look to avenge 81-77 loss to Vikings on Dec. 29
From staff and correspondent reports
After suffering a disappointing 95-86 loss at the hands of UT-Pan American Saturday evening in Edinburg, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi head coach Ronnie Arrow is still looking for answers.
   The answers could come in the form of changes to both the starting lineup and defensive philosophies as the Islanders travel to Cleveland State Monday evening. The tilt will end A&M-Corpus Christi's current six-game stretch away from Circle K Court.
   Despite an 8-2 record when attempting to avenge a loss against a repeat opponent, A&M-Corpus Christi will have to overcome two major hurdles. First , Cleveland State (15-9) hasn't been too hospitable at home, going 9-1 at Goodman Arena. Atlantic 10 representative St. Bonaventure has been the only school to turn the trick, handing the Vikings a 64-61 loss on Jan. 16. Second, the Vikings ride into the rematch on a five-game winning streak.
   Those two factors aren't the only things Arrow is concerned about in preparing for CSU.
   "I'm concerned about their strength, their quickness, their gym, their crowds, their coaches, their vendors, if they serve Coke or Pepsi, the weather outside," Arrow said joikingly. "Seriously, Cleveland State is a very good shooting team. They are young, quick and athletic. (Coach) Rollie (Massimino) has done a great job in bringing Cleveland State's program back into contention for an NCAA berth. This game will be a challenge for us.
   "We will have to be able to control their perimeter shooters and do a much better job on the boards than we did last time."
   The Viking offense features a very balanced scoring attack, led by junior Theo Dixon (18.3 ppg) and senior Jamaal Harris (14.4 ppg). Dixon is coming off a career-best 33-point effort in CSU's three-point win at Loyola of Chicago.
   The matchup features a contrast of styles. A&M-CC flew into town with the nation's fifth-best scoring offense (84.4 ppg), while Cleveland State surrenders an average of just 66.6 points per game. On the other hand, CSU's offense puts up just over 68 points per game, while the Islanders defense yields 83.8 points per outing.
   Despite the style differences, there is one common theme when comparing the two programs - they both give coaches fits when it comes to the end of a game. Of the Islanders' 23 games this season, nine have been decided five points or less. Cleveland State has played in 14 games decided by the same margin.
   The first clash between the two teams proved that point.
   On December 29, CSU used an 8-0 run late in the second half and hit crucial free throws down the stretch to post the 81-77 victory in the finals of Koch Petroleum Islander Invitational. The loss overshadowed a 31-point, 5-rebound effort by Michael Hicks, while Harris paced the Vikings with 21 points.
   It is anticipated that junior guard Armond Wainright will make his first start of the year for the Islanders since joining the squad at semester break. This comes on the heels of a record-setting effort against the Broncs. Wainright, a native of Oakland, Calif., drilled a school-record seven three-pointers in a reserve role en route to a career-high 27 points. He has averaged 13.8 points per game in his last eight outings.
   Dustin Shultz could also be inserted into the starting five, replacing Damian Kirkaldy, who got into early foul trouble in the teams' first meeting.
   In their first meeting, the Vikings drilled 7 of 15 (.467) three-point attempts and outmuscled the Islanders on the boards to the tune of 41-32. The Islanders' expected moves figure to give the Islanders a better perimeter defensive unit.
   "I've been flirting with going to a zone defense more in the past couple of games," said Arrow, who watched his team get torched by UTPA's strong (35-53, .603) shooting effort two nights ago. "We had to do the same thing at this time last year. Right now, I'm not too sure that we can rely on our man-to-man defense. People are putting up some big numbers on us. As it stands, we have to score a bundle of points to get a victory."
   The game will be broadcasted live over Fox Sports Ohio. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.

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