ABILENE, TEXAS – Playing without their leading scorer, the University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team lost at Southland Conference rival Abilene Christian University on Saturday, 78-54 at Moody Coliseum.

The Cardinals (5-12, 2-4) struggled to score with a shooting percentage of 36.7 percent from the field after shooting over 50 percent in each of their previous two games.  UIW briefly led at the beginning of the game, but the Wildcats quickly asserted themselves and led by double digits over the final 32 minutes of the game.

UIW finished the game going 18-of-49 from the field, 3-of-12 from three-point range and 15-of-23 at the foul line.  Freshman Melina Merritt (Round Rock/Cedar Ridge HS) had the best game of her young career.  She scored a season high 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 shooting from three-point range.  She also led the team with three steals.  Jazmine Holman (Arlington/Arlington Bowie HS) scored 14 points while fellow freshman Quincy Baker (Houston/Klein HS) added 11 points and eight rebounds.  The Cardinals were missing Aricka Adams (Round Rock/Round Rock HS) who leads the team with 14.1 points per game due to an injury.

The Wildcats forced UIW into 23 turnovers and pulled down nine more rebounds than the Cardinals.

ACU shot 41.5 percent from the field, made 10-of-28 from three-point range and were 14-of-23 at the foul line.  Alexis Mason led the team with 17 points while Suzzy Dimba had 12 points, 15 rebounds, six assists and five steals.  Sydney Shelstead pulled down 11 rebounds, including eight on the offensive end, off the bench.

The Cardinals are back in action on Thursday at Southland rival Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m.
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