SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word fell Tuesday to the Seattle Redhawks, 81-60, to close out its two-game road trip to the Pacific Northwest.
 
"We were a step slow tonight," Cardinals coach Carson Cunningham said. "We've been rebounding well and even that was a major struggle. Perhaps the second game on a longer trip was a big factor in that. The zip we had against Portland just wasn't there. Gotta give Seattle credit. They played well. We are excited to return home for a Saturday night game versus Trinity."
 
NOTABLES 

• Freshman guard Keaston Willis continued his great shooting over the last couple of weeks, scoring 14 points against Seattle to make it five out of the last six games he's scored in double figures.
• Sophomore guard Morgan Taylor finished with nine points, the most he's scored since Nov. 8 against Northern Colorado (16).
• Freshman guard Brandon Swaby put up a career-high eight points in just eight minutes of action.
• Sophomore guard Dwight Murray Jr. chipped in seven points and a team-high four rebounds on the night.
• Junior forward Augustine Ene recorded six points with a block and two steals, marking the second time this season he's recorded at least one block and one steal in the same game.

HOW IT HAPPENED
FIRST HALF
Willis came out strong to start the evening, connecting on a layup and a three-pointer for five quick points in the game's opening minutes. Both teams were locked up at 7-7 when the Redhawks went on an 8-3 run to take a 15-10 lead heading into the under-16 media timeout. The Cardinals came out of the break with a pair of baskets from Ene and freshman center Marcus Larsson, followed by a pair of free throws from Larsson to give UIW its first lead of the game at 16-15 with under 12 minutes left in the first half. Murray Jr. hit a jump shot to extend UIW's lead to 18-15. The Redhawks turned the ball over four of their six possessions during the Cardinals' 8-0 run. Seattle ended the scoring run with a pair of three pointers, a layup and a dunk to go on a 10-0 run to regain its lead at 25-18. The Redhawks caught fire from there, closing out the half on a 32-10 scoring run to take a 47-28 lead at the break.
 
SECOND HALF
The Cardinals opened the second half on a 7-0 scoring run thanks to a pair of free throws from Willis, a three-pointer from Ene and a jump shot from Murray Jr. to reduce the deficit to 47-35. That was as close as the Cardinals would get, however, as Seattle managed to keep UIW at a comfortable distance for the rest of the second half, finishing with an 81-60 win. 
 
UP NEXT
The Cardinals return home for a matchup against Trinity at 7 p.m. Saturday, December 7, at the McDermott Center. 

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.