DAYTON, Ohio — Texas A&M-Corpus Christi grabbed the first win of the 2023 NCAA Tournament with a 75-71 triumph over Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday night at UD Arena.
For the Islanders, the victory was especially sweet after they lost the opening game of last year's tourney.
Their redemption almost didn't come, though, as the Redhawks erased a 10-point lead to tie the score at 64 with three minutes to go.
TAMU-CC's Jalen Jackson broke the tie with a pair of free throws at the 2:48 mark, and the Islanders held on as the teams traded scores over the last three minutes.
Isaac Mushila, who scored 15 points for the Islanders, iced the game with a free throw with 1.5 seconds left. That came after he rebounded Phillip Russell's step-back 3-point attempt that would have tied the game.
Jackson led the Islanders with 22 points while Trevian Tennyson added 12.
Chris Harris led SEMO with 23 points, but he was one of three Redhawks to foul out of the game.
Russell added 15 points for SEMO.
The Islanders advance to take on No. 1 seed Alabama on Thursday in Birmingham, Ala.
