Robert Robinson, her Islanders counterpart, agreed.  He thought his team was beat right when Goestenkors' group set foot in the American Bank Center.

Texas continued to burn through the Southland Conference, racking up another devastating victory against a Southland opponent.  A&M-Corpus Christi never led and rarely threatened in an 88-41 pounding by the nationally ranked Longhorns in front of 2,159 fans -- many adorned with burnt orange.

It was the largest margin of defeat in Islanders history.  Robinson and the team's more experienced players felt that intimidation turned a likely defeat into a record-setting blowout.

"We were completely intimidated by Texas as soon as they walked in the gym," Robinson said.  "Nice uniforms, nice shoes, (former) Duke coach.

"Deziree (Green) had that deer-in-the-headlights look right from the beginning.  All of our guards ... Lauren Smith, she couldn't handle the ball to save her life.  Very disappointing for me as a coach to see that, because I thought we had gotten better than that."

A&M-Corpus Christi (1-7) knew No. 22 Texas (7-2) was bigger, stronger and faster.  The players knew they would have to play smart, make wise decisions and take sound shots.

They did none of that.

The Islanders committed four turnovers in the opening two minutes and 24 seconds, three of them by Smith.  The team hit six of its first 28 field-goal attempts.

"A lot of people have their own ideas in their heads," Cooper said.  "I don't know if it was before the game, knowing UT is UT, or if it was actually getting in the game and seeing the size difference.  Either way, it was an intimidation factor, whether it was the uniform or the size.  It definitely was intimidation."

That makes it tougher on older players such as Cooper and junior post Elisa Beagle, who led the team with nine points and six rebounds.  Both remember the teams' past two meetings, when the Islanders lost by five and 12, and stayed in the thick of those games throughout.

"I expected we would work a lot harder," Cooper said.  "Everybody didn't come to play.  We have a young team, so nobody is used to this environment, this type of team, that size.  That was an intimidation factor."

If the outcome was a foregone conclusion, it didn't have to be a record-setting beating.  A&M-Corpus Christi trailed 34-19 with 3:49 left in the first half.  The Islanders next scored with 3:35 off the clock in the second half.

The seven-plus-minute drought turned a 15-point deficit into a 34-point chasm.

It got worse.  Longhorns wing Crystal Boyd, who was scoreless in the first half, finished with a team- and career-high 16.  Her effort helped bump the game from blowout territory to runaway rout.

Join the Southland club. Robinson wanted to use the game to measure his team against the Southland.  Lamar was beaten by 59 by Texas,  Sam Houston State by 50.  Texas-Arlington at least held it down, falling by 16.

Goestenkors was magnanimous toward A&M-Corpus Christi.  She said the team played tough and, when freshman Myeisha Myles joins the Islanders this week, they should get stronger.

"They're really tough.  They set tough screens.  We didn't get wide-open shots until the end," Goestenkors said.  "I think once they get their players healthy and in a groove, they're going to be really tough to contend with."

Robinson didn't mask his displeasure. It's not the loss that hurt -- or even that it was a blowout.  The general letdown among his team stung the most.

"I thought we would come out and compete," Robinson said.  "That disappoints me more than anything.  I could live with losing to Texas as long as we played hard and competed."