HOUSTON -- The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team led by one point with eight seconds remaining, but a last-second layup fell for HBU as the Huskies defeated UIW 60-59 Wednesday night at Sharp Gym in Houston.
 

NOTABLES

• UIW put in work on the glass all day, finishing with a season-high 52 rebounds as a team.
• That included 23 offensive rebounds, the second time this season the Cardinals have recorded 20+ offensive boards—also Houston (Nov. 16, 2018).
• Freshman forward Starr Omozee led the team with 18 points on 46.7 percent shooting (7-15). She also finished with nine rebounds.
• Junior forward Lunden Henry delivered one of her best games of the year, tying her season-high with 14 points and leading the team on the glass, along with Omozee, by grabbing nine rebounds.
• Junior guard Imani Robinson finished with four assists, giving her 47 on the season, a new career-high.
• She also had a season-high performance on the boards, securing eight rebounds to go along with her six points.
• Sophomore guard Kara Speer set a new career high by hitting her 16th free throw of the season tonight.
• She also set a new career high with seven rebounds in the loss.
• Freshman guard Macy Ray also delivered a season high on the boards, pulling in four.
• Junior forward Alexis Henry delivered seven points off two made threes and a free throw. She entered the game with one make from beyond the arc this season.
• Robinson played the entire 40 minutes tonight for the first time in her career.

HOW IT HAPPENED

QTR 1 (11-10): UIW started off on a 5-0 run thanks to the second three of the season from A. Henry. The Huskies countered to make it a one-score game. Neither team shot the ball well in the opening frame, with UIW holding the home team to 26.7 percent from the field. Robinson had active hands on the defensive end throughout. While not getting credit for a steal, the junior disrupted the Husky attack multiple times by poking the ball loose, including a great play to break up a fast break that would have resulted in an HBU lead. In the final possession, the Huskies had claimed a 10-8 lead, only for A. Henry to splash home her second triple of the quarter as the clock hit zero. After 10, A. Henry led all scorers with six points, Omozee paced the Cardinals on the boards with four.

QTR 2 (28-32): The Cardinals were forced to buckle down on defense as they endured a scoring drought, allowing HBU to take a 28-20 lead with 2:25 left in the half. Omozee decided she had enough of the lid on the bucket, splashing home her next three shots to put up eight points and bring UIW within four at the break.

QTR 3 (50-46): UIW hit the reset button in the third quarter, going on an 11-2 run to grab a 39-36 lead. L. Henry put on a clinic down low, delivering seven points, three rebounds and an assist to put the Cardinals in front. Other standout performers included Omozee, who added five points, and Robinson, driving the offense with two points, three boards and two assists. As a team, the Cardinals put up 22 points in the frame on 56.3 percent shooting (9-16).

QTR 4 (59-60): The pace slowed down in the fourth as both teams tried to limit mistakes down the stretch. HBU took a 58-57 lead in the last minute of the game but missed a pair of free throws with 11 seconds left to give UIW a chance to take the lead. Off a timeout, the Cardinals executed a textbook inbounds play to give L. Henry an open look in the paint which she buried to give UIW a 59-58 lead with eight seconds left. However, the Huskies responded with an inbound play of their own to score with two seconds remaining and steal the win. L. Henry finished the quarter with six points, giving her 13 points in the second half.

UP NEXT
UIW is off on its final trip into Louisiana for a rematch against New Orleans on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. The trip concludes the following Saturday, Feb. 9, when the Cardinals travel to Corpus Christi for a clash with the Islanders of Texas A&M-CC., tipoff there is set for 3:00 p.m.

FOLLOW ALONG
For the most up-to-date information on UIW Athletics, visit uiwcardinals.com, follow the Cardinals on Twitter @UIWAthletics and like UIW Athletics on Facebook at UIW Athletics.