Box Score SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – The visiting Tarleton State women's basketball team never trailed at the University of the Incarnate Word on Saturday and held on for a 78-71 win at the McDermott Center. (Box Score)

It was the TexAnns (9-2, 5-0) who came out quickly in a battle for first place in the Lone Star Conference.  They went inside to star post player Kiara Wright who scored 10 of the team's first 14 points.  Tarleton would lead by as many as nine points on three different occasions in the first half, but the Cardinals (7-4, 3-2) were not about to go away.

The Cards used back-to-back three-pointers from Katy Cooke (Marble Falls/Marble Falls HS) and Katie Novak (Homer Glen, IL/Lockport Township HS).  UIW closed to within two points on two instances, but could get no closer in the first half and the TexAnns went into halftime with a 43-37 lead.

The game remained tight in the second half as the Cardinals opened the period on an 8-2 run to tie the game at 45-45 with 16:52 remaining.  TSU reclaimed the lead on their next possession on a layup by Kiara Wright and they would stay in front of the Cards the rest of the game.

It was a one possession ballgame for the majority of the second half.  A key sequence came with 3:30 to play when the Cardinals trailed 71-69 and they had three consecutive possessions with a chance to tie or take the lead, but were unable to convert.  A layup by Ashlyn Green (Irving/Irving HS) cut the TSU lead to 74-71 with 57.7 remaining, but a nice backdoor layup by Cheyenne Berry on the other end of the court essentially clinched the game for the visitors.

The Cardinals forced 24 turnovers and racked up 17 steals, but were only able to turn those into 17 points.  The team shot 37.0 percent from the field, made 5-of-16 from three-point range and was 26-of-33 at the charity stripe.  Ify Mora (Grand Prairie/Arlington Bowie HS) led the team with 17 points and three steals off the bench as she went 13-of-15 from the foul line.  Novak knocked down 5-of-7 shots, including a pair of three-pointer to score 12 points off the bench.  Green finished with 13 points and a game high five steals while Joslinn Douglass (Austin/Del Valle HS) added 11 points.  The Cards had 22 rebounds and committed 11 turnovers.

The TexAnns shot an outstanding 60.5 percent from the field, including a 65.4 percent performance in the first half.  They went 3-of-7 from behind the three-point arc and were 23-of-30 at the foul line.  Wright finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds while going 9-of-11 from the field and 7-for-9 at the line.  Peyton Adamson added 20 points while knocking down a trio of three-pointers.  Brianna Bledsoe chipped in with 15 points.  The TexAnns had 36 rebounds and committed 24 turnovers.

The Cardinals are back in action on January 10 at home against West Texas A&M.  Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m.
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