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Monday, January 8, 2001

Islanders searching for motivation
A&M-CC men look to buck trend of slow starts against Cal Poly tonight
By Mark Zuckerman
Caller-Times
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - You wouldn't think it would take much to get motivated for an NCAA Division I basketball game, especially against a big-name opponent on the road.
   So why is Texas A&M-Corpus Christi haveing such a hard time getting fired up these days?
   "That's a good question," guard Sennai Atsbeha said. "I wish I knew."
   "I honestly have no idea," responded forward Shaun Hemsley. "I've been trying to figure out myself. I just don't know."
   Leave it to head coach Ronnie Arrow to put the Islanders' first-half troubles in perspective: "It's like we have to get our heads knocked against the wall before we decide that we have to go to work."
   If that's the case, A&M-Corpus Christi's entire roster probably suffered severe concussions Saturday night against BYU. The Islanders didn't just come out of the gates slow. They came out turned around backwards.
   The first-half numbers were atrocious: Twenty-nine percent shooting for the Islanders, 54 percent for the Cougars. Twenty-three total points for A&M-Corpus Christi, the lowest in program history. And a 34-point deficit early in the second half that had the Islanders on pace for their most-lopsided defeat ever.
   Which made the final 12 minutes of the game all the more stupifying.
   Trailing 63-29 and looking like they were ready to wave the white flag, the Islanders suddenly sprang to life, going on a 17-2 run over the next five minutes and getting within 13 points before ultimately losing, 84-68.
   "We had a lot of energy in the second half," said Atsbeha, who helped spur the comeback with 13 second-half points. "We played with a lot of heart, and that was important. We were really getting embarassed."
   Instead, A&M-Corpus Christi (6-9) left town with a somewhat-respectable loss to a BYU team that is expected to be in the hunt for the Mountain West Conference title this year. More importantly, the Islanders arrived in San Luis Obispo with a boost of confidence going into tonight's game at Cal Poly.
   "I think you have to focus on the positives," Atsbeha said. "After a game like that, we played so bad, we have to just concentrate on what we did well and put everything else behind us."
   Mired in a three-game losing streak, A&M-Corpus Christi can take solace in the fact that it has already beaten Cal Poly (5-6) this year, 86-72 on November 26 at Memorial Coliseum. The Islanders are also well aware of their 1-7 record away from home, even worse than last year's 3-10 mark on the road.
   A&M-Corpus Christi arrives a weary team after flying into San Jose and making the scenic 3-hour drive down State Highway 1 to this isolated town on California's central coast. Perhaps recognizing his players' need to get away from basketball for a little while, Arrow gave the team the day off from practice.
   "We beat (Cal Poly) the first time, but we're on the road now," said Hemsley, who in his first start of the season pulled down a team season-high 14 rebounds. "We probably won't get the calls. We just have to play hard from the beginning to the end and we'll be all right."
   If A&M-Corpus Christi's recent history is any indication, a fast start could be hard to come by. The Islanders have trailed at halftime in their last four games.
   "We're a slow-starting team, and that makes it tough to come back from those deficits," Atsbeha said. "It's something we need to solve, because once we solve that, we'll be leaps and bounds ahead of where we are now."

   ISLANDER MEN'S GAMEDAY
   Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
   at Cal Poly
   LOCATION: San Luis Obispo, Calif. - Mott Gym (3,032).
   TIME: 9 p.m.
   RADIO: KEYS (1440 AM) - pregame begins at 8:30 p.m.
   RECORDS: A&M-Corpus Christi 6-9, Cal Poly 5-6.
   NEXT GAME: vs. Centenary, Saturday, 7 p.m.
   THE SCOOP: Stuck in a three-game losing streak, A&M-Corpus Christi looks to sweep its season series with the Mustangs. The Islanders won, 86-72, on Nov. 26 at Memorial Coliseum behind Michael Hicks' first of two 40-point games this year. ... If A&M-Corpus Christi is to win, it needs to get to the free-throw line more than it did in Saturday night's 84-68 loss at BYU. The Islanders attempted a season-low 12 free throws, making 8. ... Tonight's game marks the last of a three-game road trip for A&M-Corpus Christi. The Islanders return home to face Centenary on Saturday and Albany on Monday before heading back on the road for six straight games. ... Cal Poly is riding a 4-game losing streak of its own, though the Mustangs have a potent offensive attack that averages 82.9 ppg. Senior C Chris Bjorkland (19.1 ppg) leads the way, followed by freshman G Jamaal Scott (16.4 ppg), who was held to only 4 points last time against A&M-Corpus Christi in 9 minutes of action before fouling out.


Staff writer Mark Zuckerman can be reached at 886-3747 or by e-mail at zuckermanm@caller.com

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