SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team dropped a nail-bitter against the University of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC), 60-55, at the McDermott Center on Saturday afternoon.
 
Jaaucklyn Moore (18) and Tiana Gardner (15) combined for 33 points on the day. Gardner totaled nine rebounds for the Cardinals.
 
Destiny Terrell made a statement to start the game, scoring all six of the Cardinals' first points off back-to-back and-one plays. Terrell drove and kicked the ball out to an open Hanna Wheeler, who drained a trey from the wing as UIW jumped to a 9-4 edge. The two teams ended the first knotted at 13-13.
 
Gardner helped UIW reclaim the lead on the first possession of the second quarter (15-13). Jamie Means nailed a fade away jumper and the Islanders immediately scored to retie the game at 18-18. TAMUCC jumped to a six-point edge with just under two minutes left in the half, but the Cardinals trimmed the score to 29-26 to head into the second half.
 
Midway through the third quarter, another trey from Wheeler and a pair of free throws from Moore put the Cardinals ahead, 35-34. Then, Moore drained a trey in her defenders' face and finished a fast break bucket from Destiny Jenkins to give the Cardinals their largest advantage of the game, 43-38.
 
The islanders clawed back to tie the game and take back the lead, but Moore finished a tough and-one transition layup to give UIW a one-point advantage (49-48) halfway through the fourth quarter. TAMUCC fought to take a three-point advantage with under a minute left in the game. With twenty seconds to go, Moore made a huge four-point play, knocking down a 3-pointer through the foul and sinking the free throw. In the end, the Islanders won the game, 60-55. 
 
UP NEXT
UIW will compete at the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy, Texas, on March 10-13.
 
FOLLOW ALONG 
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