SAN ANTONIO – Sophomores Keaston Willis and Drew Lutz and senior Des Balentine each recorded double-digit performances, but a physical Southland Conference played out in the second half as the University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball fell to visiting SFA, 83-65, on Saturday night at the McDermott Center in the nightcap of a men's and women's double-header. 
 
Lutz, still working back from an injury over Christmas break, has continually produced off the bench as he put up ten points in 28 minutes. Balentine added ten points and dished out five assists as Willis totaled a team-high 15 points. 
 
The Cardinals shot 42% (22-for-52) from the field, but just 31.6% (6-of-19) from 3-point range and 51.7% (15-for-29) from the free throw line. SFA capitalized on outscoring UIW in points off turnovers (21-11) and points in the paint (50-20) and shot above 50% in every category to pull away from UIW in the second half and come away with a win.
 
"They had a good power game and this is a game where you have to be able to guard down low," UIW coach Dr. Carson Cunningham said. "The guys are battling, and they are working hard, we just have to keep working."
 
UIW (5-6, 2-2 SLC) and SFA fought through six lead changes and four ties in the first half. Neither team could gain enough momentum to hold a lead for long. Lutz nailed a 3-pointer in the corner to break a 19-19 tie with 11 minutes to go in the first half and hit a pair of free throws on the next possession to give the Cardinals a 23-19 lead, but an SFA 3-pointer and a pair of free throws from Calvin Solomon again tied the game at 23 and gave the Lumberjacks the momentum it needed to close out the half on a 22-10 run over eight minutes and hold a 45-33 advantage at the break. 
 
The Cardinals clawed back with an 11-44 run to open the second half as Balentine nailed a pull up jumper, sophomore Brandon Swaby hit a trey and freshman GG Ezedinma cashed in on a layup over the first six minutes to pull within five (49-44). Again, Solomon answered the call, hitting 3-of-4 of his next free throw attempts and the 'Jacks went on a 13-0 run to pull away from UIW (65-45) with eight minutes to play. Already in early foul trouble as each team combined for 70 fouls, UIW was not able to cut into the SFA lead. 
 
The Lumberjacks (7-2, 3-0 SLC) had six guys scoring in double-figures as Calvin Solomon finished with a team-high 13 points, David Kacheiries added 12, Charlie Daniels and Cameron Johnson scored 11 and Roti Ware and Nigel Hawkins both contributed with ten on the night.  
 
COACH CUNNINGHAM SAID

"We made a nice push in the first ten minutes of the second half. But we lost the ball a few times and they had a couple fast breaks. You can't give a team like that those types of plays and to have missed free throws, (SFA) is too good. But our guys were battling, and we are going to have to learn from it. When we win, we have to learn and when we lose, we have to learn."

LOOKING AHEAD

UIW has a week off before hosting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Saturday, Jan. 23, at 6:30 p.m.  to kick off a three-game home-stand with the Islanders, HBU (Jan. 27) and Abilene Christian (Jan. 30).

FOLLOW ALONG

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