BEAUMONT -- The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team battled hard but fell to Lamar, one of the top teams in the conference, 79-53 on Wednesday night at the Montagne Center in Beaumont, Texas.
NOTABLES
- Sophomore forward Olivia Noah hit three triples, her second game of the year with multiple makes from deep. She led the team with 12 points.
- Freshman guard Macy Ray also delivered three makes from beyond the arc. Her fourth game of the season with three or more made threes.
- Sophomore guard Kara Speer hauled in a career-high 11 rebounds to lead the team.
- Just behind her on the glass, junior forward Alexis Henry also set a new career high with 10 rebounds. She has now recorded six or more rebounds in three consecutive games.
- Sophomore guard Liz Holter hit a three-pointer, giving her four consecutive games with at least one made three, the longest such streak of her career.
- Junior guard Imani Robinson was active on the defensive end, finishing with three steals. She has now recorded three or more steals six times this season.
- As a team, UIW shot 78.6 percent from the line (11-14). The Cardinals have now shot 75 percent or better in five straight games and six of their last seven.
HOW IT HAPPENED
QTR 1 (12-24): UIW had quality looks when the offense was able to get set, leading to a
Ray three ball off an athletic offensive rebound by
Imani Robinson. Lamar showed its chops shortly after that, forcing turnovers with its suffocating press and scoring eight points over a span of just 40 seconds to grab a double-digit lead. UIW settled down as the quarter went on, reducing turnovers and playing strong defense to hold LU to 2-12 shooting in the final five minutes. UIW outscored Lamar 9-4 in that span.
Bowie led the team with five points.
QTR 2 (25-43): UIW had a slight advantage when playing at its preferred pace. As the game slowed down, UIW forced the hometown Cardinals to make tough perimeter shots, a task Lamar was unable to answer in the first half. UIW held LU to just two made field goals for 7:38 of play spanning across the first and into the second quarters. Transition offense and second-chance points were the difference. LU outscored UIW 26-2 off turnovers and added in nine second-chance points in the first half to carry an 18-point lead into the break.
QTR 3 (35-62): Lamar adjusted on defense, cutting down on UIW's open looks to widen the gap. UIW enjoyed a 7-0 run in the middle of the frame, courtesy of some strong play from
Holter and
A. Henry. They both assisted on each other's buckets in the run, sandwiched between an offensive rebound and put-back by
Speer.
QTR 4 (53-79): UIW was stroking the ball late in the quarter, hitting three deep balls to go on a 12-2 run.
Noah splashed a pair of threes around
Ray's third of the game, but Lamar finished the game on top.
UP NEXT
The Cardinals head north to Nacogdoches for a Saturday afternoon game against the Lady Jacks of SFA. Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
FOLLOW ALONG
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