Box Score SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - The Incarnate Word women's basketball team won their first Lone Star Conference game of the season in a thrilling 82-81 double overtime victory over visiting Midwestern State at the McDermott Center on Thursday night. (Box Score)

The game featured a number of late game heroics from both sides.  The Cardinals (4-2, 1-0) held a 63-59 lead with 1:16 left in regulation after a jumper by Rose Whitehead (Grapevine/Grapevine HS).  They stopped the Mustangs (4-1, 0-1) on the ensuing possession, but promptly turned the ball over.  Andrea Carter knocked down a jumper for MSU with 41 seconds remaining and then Dianna Jones tied the game on a tough layup with three seconds left in regulation after the Cardinals missed two opportunities to put the game away.

In the first overtime, the Cardinal fell behind by as many as six points and they were still down 72-67 after Kirsti Degelia hit 1-of-2 free throws with 57 seconds remaining.  Ify Mora (Grand Prairie/Arlington Bowie HS) cut the MSU lead to three points with a pair of free throws and then Michelle Hale (Albuquerque, NM/Rio Grande HS) forced a turnover that turned into two quick points by Ashlyn Green (Irving/Irving HS) to make it 72-71 with 26 seconds left. 

The Cardinals quickly fouled and Degelia knocked down two free throws to put the Mustangs back up by three.  On their next possession, the Cardinals had two shots blocked and go out of bounds before Lauren McKinney (Grand Prairie/Arlington Bowie HS) popped open off an out of bounds play and banked in a three-pointer from the top of the key to tie the game.  Jones' running jumper in the lane was just off the mark at the buzzer for the Mustangs.

The Cardinals fell behind quickly in the second overtime, but McKinney was there to bail the team out again.  With the shot clock winding down she hit a step-back three-pointer to give the team a 78-77 lead.  McKinney entered the game 0-for-3 from three-point range for the season.

The Cards would go up by four points after Katy Cooke (Marble Falls/Marble Falls HS) drained her fourth three-pointer of the game.  MSU would come back and tie the game with 1:36 remaining.

The Mustangs had the ball with the score tied 81-81 with under 30 seconds to play and they looked to Degelia to get them the win.  She drove into the lane, but was stopped and was forced to try to toss the ball back out front, but it was stolen by Joslinn Douglass (Austin/Del Valle HS) who drove the length of the court and was fouled with four seconds remaining.  She made 1-of-2 free throws, but it proved to be enough for the win for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals shot 39.1 percent from the field, made 6-of-13 from three-point range and were 26-of-37 from the foul line.  Cooke and Green led the team with 18 points apiece.  Each player also had five steals while Green added seven rebounds.  Mora contributed 12 points off the bench and Whitehead chipped in with 11 points.  Hale led the team with 11 rebounds and was 6-for-6 at the foul line.  The team had 38 rebounds, 19 steals and 22 turnovers.

The Mustangs shot 44.6 percent from the field, made 3-of-12 from three-point range and were 20-of-25 at the charity stripe.  Jones led the team with 20 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 8-of-8 at the foul line.  Carter posted a double-double with 16 points and 17 rebounds.  Degelia added 16 points while Shatoia Gober added nine points, 10 rebounds and four steals.

The Cardinals will return to action this Saturday afternoon when they host Cameron University at 2:00 PM. 
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