| Senior Morris Smith IV scored a team-high 19 points, 14 of which came after the half, on Saturday night. |
SAN ANTONIO — Senior Morris Smith IV scored a game-high 19 points, but Kevin Palmer poured in 18, including 16 after halftime, to help lead Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to a 66-62 overtime win over UTSA Saturday night in front of a season-high 2,263 fans at the Convocation Center.
With the win, the Islanders improved to 10-8 overall and remained perfect in Southland Conference play at 5-0. The Roadrunners fell to 12-5 and 2-2 and saw their seven-game home-court winning streak snapped.
Smith IV scored 14 of his points after the half and had a game-best four 3-pointers. One of his three second-half treys came with 20.2 seconds remaining in regulation and knotted the score at 58-all.
Palmer, who was 6-for-13 from the floor, but 0-of-5 from downtown, had the ball in his hands near the right elbow with under 10 seconds left, but Smith IV and junior Devin Gibson forced a turnover and Gibson’s contested layup at the buzzer rimmed out.
In the extra period, Palmer gave the Islanders the initial 60-58 lead on a fastbreak dunk, but Gibson found senior Josh Bonney on an alley-oop to quickly tie the game with 1:53 to play.
Demond Watt converted a left-handed layup to put A&M-Corpus Christi back up by two and senior Terry Fields converted 1-of-2 free throws to make it 62-61 with 51 ticks remaining.
On the next possession for the Islanders, Palmer spun wildly near the left side of the lane and drew a blocking foul on Bonney, sending him to the line where he made both to make it a three-point game.
Smith IV was fouled on a layup attempt at the other end, but missed the first of two freebies to leave UTSA trailing, 64-62.
Palmer was fouled intentionally and made one of his two free throws to give the Roadrunners one last chance. Smith IV’s trey from the left wing went off the rim and Marcus Hammonds was fouled with just one second on the clock and he made one free throw to provide the final 66-62 margin.
Smith IV was one of four Roadrunners in double figures, as senior Terry Fields scored 12 on 4-for-5 shooting and he grabbed a game-high nine rebounds. Senior Omar Johnson added 11 on the strength of 5-for-6 shooting at the line and a pair of 3-pointers, while Gibson posted 10 points, a season-high nine assists, eight rebounds and four steals in logging 44 of the 45 minutes.
Watt joined Palmer in double figures with 15 points and he grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. The Islanders shot 45.8 percent (22-48) from the field on the strength of 28 points in the paint, but they made just 2-of-15 from downtown.
Meanwhile, UTSA shot just 36.7 percent (18-49) and uncharacteristically struggled from free throw line, going 18-of-28 (64.3 percent).
It marked UTSA’s first overtime game since an 89-86 double-overtime loss at home to Sam Houston State on Feb. 4, 2009, and the second in the 11-game series history with the Islanders (L, 91-83 on Jan. 2, 2006, in Corpus Christi.)
The Roadrunners travel to San Marcos to face Texas State at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27.