SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team's fourth ranked defense faces a tough test when McNeese and its fourth-ranked offense comes to town at 6:30 p.m. (CT) on Wednesday night at the McDermott Center.
 
GAME COVERAGE
Watch/Listen: Cardinals Sports Network
Talent: Scott Mandziara
Live stats: SIDEARM Stats
 
SERIES HISTORY
The Cardinals trail the Cowgirls in the series, 4-2. UIW won the most recent matchup between the two teams in Lake Charles, La., 68-66, a season ago.
 
CARDINALS IN THE SOUTHLAND
UIW boasts the fourth-best defense in the conference, holding opponents to 59.8 points per game. The Cardinals are shooting 70.4 percent from the free-throw line, which ranks fourth-best in the league. Senior guard Imani Robinson's 13.8 points per game leads the Cardinals and ranks sixth in the SLC. Junior guard Kara Speer's 7.7 rebounds currently rank fifth in the league, while her 5.5 defensive rebounds also are fifth best.
 
BUZZER-BEATING BIRDS
The Cardinals' two conference wins against Nicholls at home and Northwestern State on the road were both buzzer beaters. Imani Robinson's scoop layup with one second left and a 3-pointer that rimmed out gave UIW its first SLC win of the season against Nicholls, 53-51. The Cardinals earned their first road win in overtime at Northwestern State with a last-second shot under the basket by Lunden Henry for a 69-67 win.
 
SHARP AS A SPEER
Junior guard Kara Speer, who has started every game for the Cardinals this season, has three double-doubles on the season. Speer is the only Cardinal with a double-double this season and on all occasions, she has matched a career high in points and rebounds. Her first was against St. Thomas (Dec. 14) when she scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. She recorded her second against Paul Quinn (Dec. 28), putting up 11 points and setting a new career-high with 12 rebounds. The most recent double-double against Northwestern State (Jan. 8) tied career highs with 16 points and 12 boards.
 
DOUBLE DIGITS
UIW has had three or more Cardinals score in double-figures on six separate occasions this season. The team is 6-0 in those games.
 
RECORD BOOK ROBINSON
Senior Imani Robinson has 1,121 career points and is the first Cardinal to reach the 1,000-career point milestone since Ifunanya Mora (2010-14). She scored her 1,000th point this season against St. Thomas, where she led the team with 19 points. The 5-11 guard ranks eighth in career points (1,121) and field goals attempted (985), while tied for ninth in career games started (78). She also is in the career record book at UIW with 67 blocks (2nd), 318 free throws made (4th), 432 free throws attempted (5th) and 178 offensive rebounds (6th).
 
TAKING CARE OF THE ROCK
UIW's five turnovers against Colorado State (Nov. 26)—committing zero in the first half—was the fewest number of turnovers in a game since the program moved to Division I. The five turnovers rank third fewest in a single game in the nation. The last time the team turned the ball over fewer than 10 times was at Houston Baptist (Feb. 28, 2018), when it gave up eight. The previous lowest number of turnovers in a game was at home against Central Arkansas (Feb. 13, 2016), when the Cardinals recorded six. UIW ranks first in the Southland Conference for fewest turnovers.
 
SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS

• McNeese is 4-10 on the season and 1-4 in Southland Conference play.
• MCN is 0-7 when they are on the road this season.
• McNeese's sole SLC win was against Northwestern State, which it defeated 61-51.
• McNeese is averaging 65.5 points per game and is led by Callie Maddox who is averaging 12.3 points per game while shooting 40.7 percent from the field and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line.
• Senior forward Damilola Balogun leads the conference in rebounding, averaging 9.1 boards per game. The Lagos, Nigeria, native also is averaging 9.6 points per game.
• McNeese's defense ranks last in the league, conceding an average of 77.3 points per game.
• The Cowgirls are strong from beyond the arc, shooting an SLC third-best 32.8 percent. Regan Bolton leads the team with 38 3-pointers, shooting at a 34.9 percent rate.

 
LAST GAME (L, 67-55 vs New Orleans): SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team fell, 67-55, to New Orleans on Saturday afternoon at the McDermott Center. The Cardinals got on the board first taking an early lead in the game halfway through the first quarter but were unable to hold off the Privateers who would take the lead for the remainder of the game. UIW found it difficult to score in the third quarter, putting up only seven points. New Orleans' freshman guard Mia Deck put up four 3-pointers in the third quarter as the Privateers began to get away with the lead, by as much as 29 points. The Cardinals, however, would not go down without a fight. Imani Robinson worked hard in the fourth quarter to cut the lead by putting up 16 points, but the deficit proved to be too much for a Cardinal comeback.
 
STAY TUNED 
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