Box Score SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team made a living at the foul line on Saturday afternoon and defeated visiting Texas A&M-International, 77-67 at the McDermott Center.  The Cardinals (6-2) went 32-of-36 from the charity stripe to secure their current four game winning streak. (Box Score)

The Cardinals trailed early to the Dustdevils (3-6), but got a big lift from Rose Whitehead (Grapevine/Grapevine HS) and Michelle Hale (Alburquerque, NM/Rio Grande HS).  The duo dominated the paint for the Cardinals as Whitehead poured in a career high 24 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field and a 10-for-11 performance at the foul line.  Hale added a double-double of 13 points and 11 rebounds while hitting 4-of-6 from the field and she even dished out four assists.

The Dustdevils got off to a great start behind the outside shooting of Tina Dang.  She had eight points in the first 3:30 and the visitors built up a 19-13 lead with 13:18 after she drained her third three-pointer of the half.

The Cardinals responded with a season-best 17-0 run after the Dang three-pointer.  Hale and Katie Novak (Homer Glen, IL/Lockport Township HS) got things started with back-to-back three-pointers and then Whitehead went to work scoring seven of the team's next 11 points.  UIW was able to maintain their 11-point lead the rest of the half and went into halftime with a 40-29 advantage.

In the second half, the Dustdevils would not go away.  An 8-0 run capped by a jumper by Amanda Mangan made it a 47-43 Cardinals lead with 13:30 remaining.  Later, TAMIU cut the lead to 50-48 after a three-pointer by Samantha Chacon with 9:01 to play.

The Cardinals had one more good run in them.  On four consecutive offensive possessions, UIW scored on conventional three-point plays to turn a five point advantage into a 13-point margin with 3:44 remaining.
           
The Dustdevils were able to close to within 70-66 after hitting three straight jumpers while forcing a pair of UIW turnovers, but the Cardinals eventually settled down and they salted the game away at the foul line.  They knocked down 5-of-6 free throws in the final 31 seconds to secure the win.

The Cardinals shot 35.0 percent from the field, went 3-of-10 from three-point range and connected on 88.9 percent of their free throws.  In addition to Hale and Whitehead, Ify Mora (Grand Prairie/Arlington Bowie HS) had 13 points and 10 rebounds off the bench while making 9-of-10 from the foul line.  Katy Cooke (Marble Falls/Marble Falls HS) added nine points while Novak and Lauren McKinney (Grand Prairie/Arlington Bowie HS) each finished with eight points.  The Cardinals had 47 rebounds with 21 coming on the offensive end and committed 21 turnovers.

The Dustdevils shot 41.8 percent from the field, made 8-of-20 three-point attempts and were 3-for-10 at the foul line.  Dang finished with 22 points after connecting on 6-of-11 three-point attempts.  Chacon chipped in with 14 points and five assists while Re'nikia Meshack finished with seven points and seven assists.  They had 34 rebounds in the game and committed 19 turnovers. 

The Cardinals are back in action on December 19 at Texas Woman's for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
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