With all of their hopes for a Lone Star Conference Women's Basketball Championship seed riding on the outcome, the University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team went to Denton to face Texas Woman's University – another team needing a win on the last day of the regular season in order to get into the tournament.
Incarnate Word had to fend off a late comeback by the Pioneers that whittled down a 15-point Cardinal lead to just three points with 5:21 left in the game, but in the end, UIW held on and escaped with a 48-44 victory and earned one of the last seeds to the LSC post-season tournament.
The win also gives Incarnate Word a winning, 14-12 regular season record – something that the Cardinals were unable to accomplish last season where they finished 9-17 overall and missed the LSC Championships in the program's first year as a member of the Lone Star.
As the rest of the games play out in the Lone Star on Saturday, UIW can finish anywhere from 6th to 8th in the seeding with a 9-11 LSC record.
In the game, Incarnate Word got double-doubles from senior Chloe Wallace and sophomore Ifunanya Mora, with Wallace getting 11 points and 10 rebounds while Mora scored 11 and pulled down 13 boards. Mora had 4 assists and 3 steals while Wallace grabbed two steals.
Sophomore center Rose Whitehead lead the Cardinals in scoring, getting 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free throw line.
Those three players scored 34 of the Cardinals' 48 points, as Incarnate Word had a 45-31 advantage in rebounds that generated 18 points in the paint and 7 second-chance points.
In addition, UIW didn't allow any players from TWU to score in double digits.
With a tournament seed secured, now Incarnate Word can sit back and wait to find out which of the last three seeds will be theirs and prepare for whichever of the top three teams from the LSC regular season – Tarleton in 1st, West Texas in 2nd and Midwestern State in 3rd – UIW will face at the LSC Championships in Allen, Texas, starting on Thursday, March 1st.
To view the Lone Star Conference Championships headquarters website, please click this link.
Below is a schedule for the women's matchups at the LSC Championships.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
SESSION THREE:
Game 5: Women's Quarterfinal, 3 vs. 6, Noon
Game 6: Women's Quarterfinal, 2 vs. 7, 2:30 pm
SESSION FOUR:
Game 7: Women's Quarterfinal, 4 vs. 5, 6:00 pm
Game 8: Women's Quarterfinal, 1 vs. 8, 8:30 pm
Saturday, March 3, 2012
SESSION SIX:
Game 11: Women's Semifinal, Winner G5 v Winner G6, Noon
Game 12: Women's Semifinal, Winner G7 v Winner G8, 2:30 pm
Sunday, March 4, 2012
SESSION EIGHT:
Game 14: Women's Championship, Winner G11 v Winner G12, 1:00 pm
