LAKE CHARLES, La. - For the second consecutive season, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders are champions of the Southland Conference in men's basketball.
The top-seeded Islanders took a thriller over No. 2 Northwestern State by the score of 75-71 in the Jersey Mike's Southland Basketball Championships presented by LouisianaTravel.com.
It is the third title for A&M-Corpus Christi overall as they become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Stephen F. Austin in 2015 and 2016. A&M-Corpus's other title came in 2007.
Jalen Jackson scored 17 points with six assists to earn Southland Tournament MVP while Owen Dease (6'8''-F) added 16 points and seven rebounds on four 3-pointers. Trevian Tennyson (6'4''-G) added 14 points.
For Northwestern State, Demarcus Sharp (6'3''-G-1998) scored 32 points with seven assists and two steals, while Ja'Monta Black (6'4''-G-2001) scored 15 on four 3-pointers. Jalen Hampton (6'6''-G) added 13 points and 12 boards with two blocks.
For Steve Lutz in his second season, it's 2-for-2, but it did not come easy. The Islanders had to manage an early double digit deficit and the loss of their star point guard Terrion Murdix (6'1''-G) early in the game.
In the early goings of this heavyweight battle, Northwestern State was the team out to the hot start as a barrage of 3-pointers from Isaac Haney and Ja'Monta Black gave the Demons an 11-4 lead.
The offensive output did not stop there as Demarcus Sharp began to show his status as Player of the Year as he scored 14 points in the first 12 minutes to open up a massive 26-10 lead for the Demons.
However, Sharp would get into foul trouble and the deep Islander team took advantage as they caught fire on the other end, outscoring the Demons 21-5 down the stretch including 10 points and a pair of 3-pointers from Dease.
The second half turned into a clash of titans as the Islanders and Demons began to show why they were at the top of the Southland standings all season long.
Throughout the first 12 minutes of the second half, neither team led by more than one possession as both teams hit big shot after big shot to keep pace with the other.
With the game tied at 52, Isaac Mushila buried a 3-pointer followed by lay in from Jackson to get their lead to five.
Northwestern State got responses from Sharp and Black but Jackson and Tennyson answered back to get the lead to a game-high eight.
Leading by eight with 2:29 to go, Northwestern State had one final push as they got it down to three on a deep ball from Black with 1:12 to go.
After forcing a turnover, Sharp drove the lane and cut it to one with under a minute to play.
However, that was the last basket from the Demons as Tennyson hit a huge floater and Jackson sealed it with free throws after a stop to take the 75-71 victory.
The Islanders shot an incredible 17 of 25 (68%) in the second half including five 3-pointers, while holding the Demons, who shot 50 percent in the first half, to 41 percent in the second half.

Courtesy of southland.org

All-Tournament MVP: Jalen Jackson (5'11''-PG) of TAMUCC
Player of the Year: Demarcus Sharp (6'3''-G-1998) of NSU
Defensive Player of the Year: Terrion Murdix (6'1''-G) of TAMUCC
Freshman of the Year: Nate Calmese (6'2''-G) of Lamar
Newcomer of the Year: Demarcus Sharp (6'3''-G-1998) of NSU
Coach of the Year: Steve Lutz of TAMUCC

All-Southland Conf. First Team 2023

Sharp

Murdix

Mushila

Huffman

Anderson

First Team
Demarcus Sharp (6'3''-G-1998) of NSU
Terrion Murdix (6'1''-G) of TAMUCC
Isaac Mushila (6'5''-F) of TAMUCC
Caleb Huffman (6'4''-G) of Nicholls St.
Boogie Anderson (6'4''-G) of SE Louisiana

All-Southland Conf. Second Team 2023

Tennyson

Black

Shumate

Johnson

Jones

Second Team
Trevian Tennyson (6'4''-G) of TAMUCC
Ja'Monta Black (6'4''-G-2001) of NSU
Demarcus Demonia (6'7''-G/F) of A&M-Commerce
Christian Shumate (6'7''-F) of McNeese St.
Jordan Johnson (6'1''-G) of New Orleans
Latrell Jones (6'5''-G-1998) of Nicholls St.

All-Southland Conf. All-Defensive Team 2023

Murdix

Huffman

Maring

Sharp

Spencer

All-Defensive Team
Terrion Murdix (6'1''-G) of TAMUCC
Caleb Huffman (6'4''-G) of Nicholls St.
Bonke Maring (6'10''-C-2000) of HCU
Demarcus Sharp (6'3''-G-1998) of NSU
Pierce Spencer (6'3''-G-2002) of Nicholls St.