PHOENIX, Arizona -- The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team extends its stay in the Grand Canyon State as it visits Grand Canyon University on Friday evening for a 7 p.m. CT tip.
 
It will be the season-opener for GCU and the second game of the season for UIW. The Cardinals fell to No. 23 Arizona State on Tuesday (Nov. 6).
 
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LAST TIME OUT

• Freshman forward Starr Omozee had a good showing in her first taste of collegiate action. She finished with seven points, tied for the most on the team.
• Junior forward Lunden Henry made an impressive impact in her UIW debut as well. She also posted seven points, while leading the team with eight rebounds.

• UIW hit three shots from beyond the arc from three different players: senior guard Gabbi Bowie, sophomore guard Kara Speer and sophomore forward Olivia Noah.

• Junior guard Victoria Jackson led the team in assists, along with Speer. They each had two.
• UIW forced 12 steals as a team, including a team-high four from junior guard Imani Robinson, just one shy of her career-high.

• Robinson finished with six points, two rebounds, four steals and one assist on the night.

• Junior guard Alexandra Busby-Leija also put up six points, all coming in the fourth quarter.

• Depth scoring was on display tonight as nine different Cardinals registered points.

 
I-MONEY ROBINSON

• UIW returns seven players from the 2017-18 squad, including junior all-conference guard Imani Robinson. 
• Robinson became the first preseason first team All-SLC selection in program history. She earned the honor in October.
• The Round Rock, Texas, native led the team in points (12.8), minutes (27.4), field goals made (118), free throws attempted (165) and made (117) last season.
• This is yet another in a string of conference recognitions for Robinson. She was named 2016-17 Southland Freshman of the Year two seasons ago and finished last year with third team All-SLC honors.
• The junior is coming off a season in which she scored 368 total points, the most of any Cardinal in a single season since joining DI, and the most since 2009-10 (Nia Torru).

 
KEY RETURNERS

• The lone senior, Gabbi Bowie, will play a prominent role this season. She is one of two returning starters, along with Robinson. Bowie averaged 6.8 points, 3.3 boards while logging 26.4 minutes per game, second most on the team (Robinson).
• The Cardinals also return last season's team leader in three-point shooting, Speer. She drained 33 shots from beyond the arc last season where she earned most of her minutes off the bench. She will continue to be an outside threat that defenses have to account for throughout the 2018-19 season.
• Sophomore Olivia Noah hopes to improve on an impressive ending to her freshman season. After injuries forced her to miss over half the season, the 6-1 forward showed her potential in the final eight games, averaging 7.25 points per game on .324 shooting from three.

 
NEW FACES

• Head coach Christy Smith signed three JUCO transfers, A. Henry, L. Henry and Wiggens, from Moberly Area Community College, a team that went 32-1 last season and earned the 3rd overall seed in the NJCAA Division I national tournament. UIW looks for them to make an immediate impact this year. 
• Wiggens was named Women's Basketball Coaches Association honorable mention All-American and first team all-conference at MACC in 2017-18. She averaged nearly 13 PPG, four rebounds and four assists in 32 starts for her junior college. Her winning mentality and offensive prowess will be welcomed to a UIW team that averaged 51.7  points per game last season.
• The Cardinals welcome a pair of decorated freshman to the squad:  Omozee comes to San Antonio from Pflugerville HS where she helped her team reach the State 6A Semifinals. Macy Ray earned All-District 19-6A honors while at Katy Taylor HS.
• The basketball team also welcomes two-time letter winning sprinter, Jackson. She spent the last two years competing in the long jump, triple jump, 200m and 400m races for UIW track & field. She will play guard, where her speed and quickness is expected to provide an immediate impact to the team's defense and transition game.

 
NONCONFERENCE GAUNTLET

• The non-conference schedule is loaded with notable opposition.
• Nine of the 11 non-conference opponents are coming off winning seasons.
• The season opener was against No. 23 Arizona State, a team that reached the second round of the 2018 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament.
• That is one of two games against 2018 NCAA Tournament teams on the slate, as UIW visits Minnesota on Dec. 5.
• Future opponents South Dakota, Houston, and Rice each took part in the WNIT.
• Weber State also saw postseason play in 2017-18, participating in the WBI tournament.

 
SCOUTING GCU

• The Antelopes are coming off a 2017-18 season in which they finished 16-14, fourth in the Western Athletic Conference.
• GCU welcomes nine new faces to the roster, four transfers and five freshmen. Two newcomers, graduate transfer AJ Cephas and freshman Laura Piera, earned preseason All-WAC honors.
• This will be the second meeting between UIW and GCU. Grand Canyon won the previous meeting, 72-67, in San Antonio on December 30, 2014.

 
 
UP NEXT
The Cardinals close out the road trip on Sunday at South Dakota with a 3:15 p.m. tip. They follow that by opening the home schedule against Houston next Friday at 11:30 a.m. The game against Houston is Elementary Day. Local elementary schools have been invited to attend the game during the school day.

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