SAN ANTONIO – A career-high 16 points from freshman guard Keaston Willis wasn't enough to lift the University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team over the Portland Pilots on Sunday night. The Cardinals entered halftime with a one-point advantage, but couldn't fight off the Pilots long enough to hold on for the win, ultimately falling by a score of 65-56.
 
"We did some really nice things in this game," Cardinals' coach Carson Cunningham said. "The fellas are making progress. Obviously, it's easier to highlight that if we win, but they are getting better. We just have to keep at it, keep rowing, carrying water, chopping wood."
 
NOTABLES 

• Willis scored a career-high 16 points, knocking down four three-pointers and pulling down three rebounds to round out a breakout performance
• Junior forward Augustine Ene tied his season-high in points with 10, while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out a pair of assists
• Junior guard Des Balentine put up season highs in points (11), rebounds (five), assists (three) and steals (two)
• The Cardinals outreboudned the Pilots, 32-27, and outscored them in the paint, 26-24

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
Ene got the Cardinals going with the first four points of the game. The junior scored all 10 of his points in the first half, with his first two buckets lifting UIW to an early 4-2 lead. The Pilots later went on an 8-0 scoring run to take a 13-6 lead with 14 minutes left in the half. Midway through the period, Portland had a seven-point lead, but a pair of free throws from Balentine and a three-pointer from Willis brought UIW back to within four. The Pilots again stretched their lead to seven, but the Cardinals roared back on a 14-6 scoring run to close out the half with a 34-33 lead. 
 
SECOND HALF
A layup from freshman forward Vincent Miszkiewicz and another three from Willis pushed UIW further in front of Portland, 39-36, in the half's opening minutes. Willis connected on another three-pointer later in the half and sophomore guard Morgan Taylor hit a layup to give UIW its largest lead of the half, 47-43, with under 13 minutes left to play. The Pilots caught fire as the game wound to close, however, and finished the game on a 22-9 scoring run to secure the 65-56 victory. 
 
UP NEXT
UIW will travel further north to take on the Seattle Redhawks at 9 p.m. (CT) Tuesday, December 3, at the Redhawk Center in Seattle. 

STAY TUNED 
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. 
The UIW men's basketball team is on Twitter at @UIWMBB and Instagram at @uiwmensbasketball.