SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team was unable to slow down the league's top program on Saturday, dropping a 94-75 decision to Stephen F. Austin at the McDermott Convocation Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
The game was out of reach for the majority of the night, but spectators tuning in on ESPN3 or the WatchESPN App at any point would have thought it was a tie ballgame. Despite trailing by double-digits from the first quarter on, the Cardinals (5-14, 3-5 SLC) never dialed back their effort and the Ladyjacks (15-2, 6-0 SLC) never relented.
 
UIW grabbed an early 5-2 lead, but SFA ran off 11 straight for an eight-point advantage at the 6:03 mark of the first quarter. The Ladyjacks shot 60.0 percent from the floor and 50.0 percent from the three-point line in the frame, taking a 30-14 lead after one.
 
The Cardinals flipped a switch in the second, outshooting SFA from the field and from beyond the arc, but the Ladyjacks used a dominant rebounding edge to pad their lead.
 
At the break, SFA led UIW, 53-32.
 
The Ladyjacks caught fire again in the third, and with 34 seconds remaining in the quarter, a Brentney Branch layup gave SFA at 30-point advantage.
 
The Ladyjacks scored the first seven points of the fourth, and after a Taylor Ross layup at the 8:38 mark, secured their largest lead of the night at 35 points. SFA led by 30 with 5:17 remaining, but the Cardinals ended the game on a 16-5 run, refusing to yield until the final buzzer.
 
THE BREAKDOWN
 
UIW shot 39.4 percent from the floor and 26.5 percent from deep, while giving up 54.9 percent and 30.8 percent respectively. Both teams were solid from the free throw line as the Ladyjacks shot 80.0 percent (8-of-10) and the Cardinals hit 76.9 percent (10-of-13).
 
SFA won the battle of the boards, 46-33, while earning a dominant 50-22 advantage on points in the paint. The Ladyjacks picked up an 18-13 edge on second chance points, a 26-22 advantage on bench points and a slight 21-19 edge on fast break points. The Cardinals came away with an 18-15 advantage on points off turnovers.
 
LEADERS
 
Celia Garcia Paunero paced UIW with her 11^th double-double of the season and second-consecutive 24-point game. She pulled down 14 rebounds, to go along with two blocks, two assists and a steal. Cheyenne Berry contributed 11 points, six boards, three rebounds and a steal, while Haley Frias added 13 points, three rebounds and an assist. Imani Robinson tallied 11 points, four steals, three boards and a block, while Alexandra Busby-Leija finished with 11 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
 
Branch (29 points), Parker (14 boards) and Ross (10 assists) led SFA.
 
QUOTES
 
ASSISTANT COACH MARVIN WALKER ON UIW'S SHOOTING PERFORMANCE
 
"We got good shots. We got the shots we wanted from the people we wanted, but the ball just didn't go in the basket. We needed to get a few more stops on defense."
 
WALKER ON THE OPPONENT
 
"They've got a good team. Their record is a good indicator of the caliber team they are. They came out and made shots and did the things they have to do, and we didn't make shots."
 
WALKER ON THE FOURTH QUARTER PERFORMANCE BY UIW
 
"One thing I can say about our team all year long is that we've never quit. We played some bigger schools earlier in the season and we can look back on those games and say that our team never quits. We didn't expect them to quit tonight, and they kept battling until the end."
 
UP NEXT
 
The Cardinals welcome Abilene Christian to the McDermott Convocation Center at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 26.
 
STAY TUNED
 
UIW will travel to Conway for a matchup with Central Arkansas at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
 
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Be sure to follow UIW Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.