SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Leading by only five with under two minutes to play in the first half, the University of the Incarnate Word closed the half on a 7-0 run – culminated by a steal, fast-break layup, and the ensuing free throw as time expired – and never looked back in the Cardinals' 91-63 win over Texas Lutheran Tuesday evening from the McDermott Center.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
 
The first half saw both UIW (4-3) and TLU (2-3) battle back and forth. With UIW leading by four midway through the first half, the Bulldogs scored five unanswered to take their first lead of the game, 21-20, with 9:20 remaining in the opening half. Burmeister's triple on the ensuing UIW possession gave the hosts the lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game.
 
TLU cut the deficit to as little as five with 1:46 remaining following a three-pointer by Nathan Josephs, consecutive layups by Charles Brown III and Burmeister, then the aforementioned three-point play by Johnson, gave UIW momentum entering the locker room leading TLU, 42-30.
 
TLU scored the first basket of the second half 20 seconds in, but the Cardinals stormed right back with back-to-back treys by Johnson and Simi Socks to increase the UIW lead to 16 (48-32). TLU battled back, as Matthew Gillette's layup at the 14:20-mark cut the deficit to 14, but UIW answered with seven unanswered, started off with Jalin Hart's triple, then a Socks jumper, then a steal by Socks resulting in a fast break layup by Christian Peevy. The closest TLU came the rest of the way was 20.
 
LEADERS

Keaton Hervey scored a career-high 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting, 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, and 3-for-4 from the charity stripe to lead all players. Socks finished with 13 points and a game-high two blocked shots. He joined Peevy for the game high of seven rebounds. Burmeister came off the bench to score 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, one block, and a season-high three steals; one shy of his career high. Cody Graham played 19 solid minutes, going 2-for-4 from the floor, one rebound, four assists, one block, and one steal, doing a lot of little things that do not wind up on the stat sheet.
 
Gillette led TLU with 12 points, followed with Josephs' 11. Jamir Mason was the top rebounder for the Bulldogs with seven boards. UIW outscored the Bulldogs, 15-0, in second-chance points.
 
QUOTES

Head coach Ken Burmeister on Shawn Johnson's play at the end of the first half and the game as a whole:
"It was nice right at the buzzer, with Shawn getting that layup. This is TLU's Gonzaga game. They came out strong and we didn't move our feet in the beginning. In the second half, we started pushing the ball."
 
On the point guard play (Jalin Hart and Cody Graham):
"Cody gave us some inspiration tonight coming off the bench. In the first half, Sam gave us a lift; in the second half, Cody gave us a nice, spirited movement that got everyone going a little bit."
 
UP NEXT

UIW takes the next 10 days off for finals and returns to action next Saturday, Dec. 16 hosting UMKC at 3 p.m.

STAY TUNED

The Cardinals head west to take on UTEP on Glory Road on Tuesday, Dec. 19, before flying to face No. 7 Florida on Friday, Dec. 22 at 6 p.m. CT.

For the most up-to-date information on Incarnate Word Athletics visit uiwcardinals.com. Be sure to follow Incarnate Word Athletics on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like Incarnate Word Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.