Box Score SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – Senior Day did not go quite as planned for the University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team. They lost to visiting New Jersey Institute of Technology on Saturday afternoon at the McDermott Center, 57-48.
The Cardinals (8-16) were never able to click on offense as they shot 29.8 percent from the field and 63.3 percent at the foul line. In the first half, foul trouble for the team's top two scorers,
Rose Whitehead (Grapevine/Grapevine HS) and
Ifunanya Mora (Grand Prairie/Arlington Bowie HS), put a crimp in the team's offense. They scored just 21 points in the half and found themselves trailing 30-21 at halftime.
The Highlanders (7-20) used a strong inside-outside game to their advantage. They outscored UIW, 24-10 on points in the paint and they also knocked down five three-pointers while allowing only one for the Cardinals.
After trailing by as many as 12 points in the second half, the Cardinals were able to cut into the lead, but NJIT always seemed to have the answer. Camerin Spahn came off the bench after not playing in the first half a pair of key buckets while Martina Matejcikova knocked down her only three-pointer of the game at an opportune time. UIW had just pulled to within five points with 7:52 remaining, but Matejcikova drained a three-pointer off an out of bounds play 35 seconds later to push the lead back to eight points. UIW was never able to get closer than six points the rest of the game.
UIW went 14-of-47 from the field, 1-for-5 from three-point range and 19-of-30 at the charity stripe.
Kosisio Mora (Grand Prairie/Arlington Bowie HS) led the team with 18 points and eight rebounds as she went 6-of-10 from the field. Her sister, Ify, added 11 points and five rebounds. UIW pulled down two more rebounds than NJIT and committed four fewer turnovers.
NJIT shot 43.8 percent from the field, made 5-of-16 from three-point range and were 10-of-14 at the foul line. Alyssa Albanese led the team with 16 points and five assists and was 9-for-10 at the foul line and was 7-for-8 in the final minute. Shakia Robinson added a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Cardinals are back in action next Thursday night at 5:30 p.m. at Southland Conference rival McNeese State.
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