Box Score ABILENE, TEXAS – For the first time this season the University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team attempted fewer free throws than their opponent and it led directly to a 76-65 loss at Lone Star Conference rival Abilene Christian on Tuesday night at the Moody Coliseum. (Box Score)

The Cardinals (9-5, 5-3) led the Wildcats (11-3, 6-2), 60-58 after a layup by Ashlyn Green (Irving/Irving HS) with 5:07 remaining in the game.  ACU closed out the game with an 18-5 run with all but three points coming at the free throw line.  The Wildcats went 15-for-16 at the foul line over the final 4:04 and they were a perfect 8-for-8 in the final 1:30 of the game to secure the victory.

The Cardinals had worked hard to take the lead in the second half.  The Wildcats held a 26-12 lead after a jumper by Renata Marquez with 8:02 left in the first half.  UIW closed the half on a 20-9 run thanks to a trio of three-pointers by Katie Novak (Homer Glen, IL/Lockport Township HS).

The Cardinals quickly took the lead in the second half when Green buried a three-pointer on their first possession and then Michelle Hale's (Albuquerque, NM/Rio Grande HS) layup gave them the lead.  The game then went back-and-forth over the next 15 minutes with each team trying to take control of the game.  ACU grabbed the lead for good with 3:29 to play on a pair of free throws by Mackenzie Lankford.

The Cardinals shot 36.5 percent from the field, made 8-of-18 from three-point range and were 11-of-21 at the foul line.  Joslinn Douglass (Austin/Del Valle HS) led the team with 15 points and five rebounds off the bench.  Novak finished with 13 points and went 4-of-7 from three-point range.  Green added a double-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds and five steals.  Lauren McKinney (Grand Prairie/Arlington Bowie HS) added 12 points.

The Wildcats shot 43.1 percent from the field, made 10-of-25 from three-point range and were 22-for-27 at the charity stripe.  Marquez led the team with 18 points, and seven steals.  Lankford finished with 16 points and seven rebounds while Sadie Dickinson added 14 points and six rebounds.  Kelsey Smith had nine points and blocked six shots.

The Cardinals grabbed 11 more rebounds than the Wildcats, but also committed four more turnovers.

UIW is back in action on Saturday at 2 p.m. against LSC rival Angelo State at home.
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