SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – A 15-2 run to start the second half was all the University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team needed to secure a 64-49 win over visiting University of St. Thomas on Thursday night at the McDermott Center.

The Cardinals (2-1) led 32-24 at halftime and then hit seven of their first 11 shots of the second half while the Celts (2-3) went 1-for-7 with six turnovers during the same 6:07 span.  The UIW lead ballooned to 22 points after a three-pointer by Haley Frias (Georgetown/Georgetown HS) with 10:34 remaining in the game.  The lead remained at 20 points until the last 1:39 when the Celts close the gap with a few late buckets.

The first half started slowly for the Cardinals as they found themselves in a tight contest where they were trailing as much as they were leading in the first 14 minutes.  Finally, a three-pointer by Frias with 6:14 left in the half gave UIW a lead they would never relinquish.  They went into halftime with an 8-point lead after Melina Merritt (Round Rock/Cedar Ridge HS) drained a three-pointer with under 30 seconds left.

The Cardinals shot 42.1 percent from the field, made 6-of-15 from three-point range and were 10-of-14 at the foul line.  Aricka Adams (Round Rock/Round Rock HS) led the team with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists on 6-of-8 shooting from the field.  Frias came off the bench to score 14 points and grab four steals while knocking down 4-of-7 from three-point land.  Alyssa Ward (Palmetto, FL/Palmetto HS) finished with 10 points and three steals while Quincy Baker (Houston/Klein HS) led the team with eight rebounds.  Overall, the Cardinals had five more rebounds and six fewer turnovers than the Celts.

St. Thomas shot 33.3 percent from the field, made 3-of-19 three-point attempts and were 10-of-13 at the charity stripe.  Ana Dominguez came off the bench to fire in a game high 18 points and she added six rebounds and two blocks.  Chante Jefferson chipped in with 10 points.  Danielle Parks entered the contest averaging 19.5 points per game, but was held to nine points on 4-of-14 shooting from the field and turned the ball over seven times.

The Cardinals travel to the University of Indiana for a Sunday afternoon game in Bloomington, IN with tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m.
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