SAN ANTONIO- The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team fell, 52-72, against Lamar University on Saturday afternoon in Beaumont, Texas.  

Jorja Elliott was the lone Cardinal to finish in double digits with 10 points and two rebounds. Nina De Leon Negron and Myra Bell chipped in six points, as De Leon added four assists, and two rebounds to the stat sheet. De Leon Negron and Bell were two of six UIW student- athletes that finished with six points. 

Not even two minutes into the game, the Cardinals came charging out, as Bell hit a deep three on an assist from De Leon Negron to start the dominant first quarter. UIW then went on a 7-0 run to stop Lamar from scoring its first points until the sixth minute of the game. The Cardinals were 50 percent from beyond the arc as they finished up the first quarter with a 10-point lead. 

In the second, the Beaumont Cardinals started to gain momentum on the offensive side to decrease UIW's lead. With five minutes remaining, Lamar tied up the score at 21 but Bell yet again hit a big three to answer back over the slowly creeping Lamar energy. The Beaumont Cardinals were cold from the three in the first quarter, but they heated things up to take the lead in the second. Before the half came to a close, De Leon Negron stole a pass to finish back-to-back layups on the offensive end to make the score 28-38.  

After outscoring Lamar 18-8 in the first, the Cardinals were outscored 10-30 in the second partly due to Lamar's 61 percent shooting from the field. 

In the second half, UIW struggled to find a pace. Lamar shot over 70 percent from the outside to extend the lead. The Cardinals came close as De Leon Negron gave an assist to Brenna Perez for a nice finish to bring the game within 15 in the third, but ultimately the deficit was too much as the Lamar Cardinals held the hot hand for the rest of the night. Four of the five starters for Lamar finished in double digits.  

On Thursday night, Jan. 26, UIW returns to the McDermott center to face McNeese at 5:30 p. m. 

FOLLOW ALONG 
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--UIW CARDINALS--