Garland Judkins scored 16 points and Demond Watt 15 to lead Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to an 81-74 victory over Northeastern State on Saturday.
Horace Bond and Jawan Nelson added 11 points apiece for the Islanders in the season opener, and Justin Reynolds had a game-high eight rebounds.
Dominique Gaines scored a game-best 26 points and had six assists for the Division II RiverHawks. But Antoine Branch was the only teammate to reach double figures with 12 points.
The Islanders' lead reached 22 in the first half, and they were ahead 44-31 at the break.
But the RiverHawks fought back within 47-44 with 15:42 left on Ethan Anderson's basket. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi never led by more than 12 the rest of the way but never lost the lead.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi outrebounded Northeastern State 38-34.
