CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- Ehab Amin scored a career-high 31 points and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won its ninth straight game 81-70 over McNeese State on Saturday.

The Islanders (18-9, 11-5) have charged up the Southland Conference standings in recent weeks, and now sit 1.5 games behind New Orleans with two games to play.

McNeese State (7-20, 4-12), loser of six straight and 9 of 10, has gone in the opposite direction, falling into the conference basement.

Rashawn Thomas finished with 24 points, including 14 of 14 at the line, and added seven boards and five assists for the Islanders.

Kareem South hit a jumper with 16:18 left in the game to open a 10-point lead for Texas A&M-CC. The Cowboys kept the score with 10 for most of the second half, however, but an 8-0 Islanders spurt late pushed their lead to 17 and put it away.

Kalob Ledoux led McNeese State with 20 points.