BEAUMONT, Texas (Interstat) — The Lamar Lady Cardinals used a dominant second half to pull away from the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders for a 77-49 victory in a nonconference women’s basketball game Monday night at the Montagne Center.

Lamar, which improved to 4-4 overall, outscored the Islanders 45-19 after halftime, turning a competitive contest into a lopsided affair. The Islanders fell to 1-7 with the loss.

The game’s decisive stretch began late in the third quarter and extended through the fourth. Leading 44-41 with under three minutes remaining in the third, Lamar closed the period on an 8-2 run, capped by a 3-pointer from T’Aaliyah Miner, to take a 52-43 advantage into the final frame. The Lady Cardinals then opened the fourth quarter with a 14-2 surge, effectively putting the game out of reach. Solenne Olenga scored six points during that run, including a layup off an assist from Kamryn Wilson that gave Lamar a 66-45 lead with 6:38 to play.

Miner, a guard from New Orleans, led all scorers with 17 points in just 17 minutes off the bench. Olenga, a forward from Lubumbashi, Congo, added 12 points and a game-high three steals. Guard Shaila Forman of Baton Rouge contributed 11 points, with nine coming in the second half.

For Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Marissa Shelton of South Bend, Indiana, and Samora Watson of Eunice, Louisiana, each scored 13 points. Watson added two assists in a team-high 31 minutes. Chelsea Wooten of McKinney dished out three assists.

The first half was a back-and-forth affair featuring six lead changes. The Islanders shot well early, connecting on three of their first five 3-point attempts to build a 14-11 lead midway through the opening quarter. Lamar responded with a 7-0 run, fueled by five points from Kamryn Wilson, to take an 18-14 lead. The Lady Cardinals led 19-14 after one quarter and maintained a narrow 32-30 advantage at halftime.

Lamar’s defense stiffened considerably in the second half, forcing 10 Islanders turnovers and holding them to 8-of-28 shooting from the field. The Lady Cardinals also controlled the glass, finishing with a 15-7 edge in offensive rebounds that led to 18 second-chance points.

Jacei Denley, a hometown product from Beaumont, orchestrated the Lamar offense with a game-high seven assists to go with six points. Chisom Oguego of Lagos, Nigeria, provided a spark off the bench with eight points, four rebounds and three steals, including two in the final minute that led to transition baskets.

The Lady Cardinals shot 44% from the field for the game, while holding Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to 32% shooting. Lamar also capitalized at the free-throw line, making 18 of 26 attempts compared to the Islanders’ 5 of 9.

The game drew an announced crowd of 678.

Lamar, which entered the game as a heavy favorite according to advanced metrics, will look to build on the win when it hosts Prairie View on Wednesday. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, mired in a six-game losing streak since its season-opening victory, continues a difficult road stretch at Stephen F. Austin on Wednesday.