ARLINGTON, Texas – The University of the Incarnate Word hung with UT-Arlington for three quarters on Saturday afternoon, but the Mavericks pulled away in the fourth for a 61-48 victory over the Cardinals at College Park Center.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UIW (0-2) traded baskets with UT-Arlington early on, and after a
Melina Merritt free throw, the teams were locked in a 10-10 tie. The Mavericks closed the period on a 5-1 run to secure a slim 15-11 lead after 10 minutes of action.
UT-Arlington scored first in the second quarter, but after a
Kara Speer three-pointer and
Gabbi Bowie layup, the Cardinals trailed by just three points midway through the second.
The Mavericks increased their advantage to 21-16, but UIW continued to chip away at the lead, and eventually retied the ballgame at 24 apiece when Merritt knocked down a pair of free throws with less than a minute remaining in the half. With only seconds remaining, UT-Arlington drove the length of the floor and hit a buzzer-beating layup to take a 26-24 lead into the locker room.
The Cardinals tied the game just 27 seconds into the second half, when
Sydnee Wynn took a pass from
Imani Robinson and connected on a layup. The Mavericks quickly responded with back-to-back shots from beyond the arc to regain momentum. The teams battled evenly throughout the remainder of the period, and after 30 minutes of action, UT-Arlington held a 41-36 advantage.
UIW scored first in the fourth quarter, but the Mavericks countered with a 7-3 run to secure their first double-digit lead of the game at 51-41.
Quincy Baker and Wynn scored on consecutive possessions, but UT-Arlington closed ended on a 10-3 barrage to shut the door.
THE BREAKDOWN
The Cardinals shot 30.4 percent from the floor and 30.6 percent from three-point range, while surrendering 39.6 percent and 23.1 percent respectively. The Mavericks earned a slight 38-35 advantage in the battle of the boards, and committed just 12 turnovers, compared to 18 by UIW. UT-Arlington picked up a 22-14 edge on points in the paint, a 13-7 advantage on second-chance points, a 23-13 edge on bench points and a 6-0 advantage on fast break points.
LEADERS
Baker paced the Cardinals with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block and 1 assist.
Haley Frias and Robinson each tallied 8 points, while Merritt added a team-high 3 assists.
Rebekah VanDijk led the Mavericks with 11 points, 9 boards, 3 assists and a steal.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals' home-opener will come on Wednesday, Nov. 15 as the squad welcomes regional foe Texas State for a 6 p.m. ballgame at the McDermott Center.
STAY TUNED
UIW will host UMHB at 6 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 20.
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.
