SAN ANTONIO – In a close contest with St. Edward's University, the University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team led almost the entire second half to win the game, 57-49, on Saturday afternoon over the Hilltoppers.
 
Four Cardinals finished the game with double-digit points. Nina De Leon Negron (15), Jorja Elliott (12), Brenna Perez (11) and Destiny Terrell (10) led UIW. Elliott added eight rebounds, while De Leon tallied four steals and Chloe Storer finished with three blocks.
 
Chloe Storer got crafty under the basket with a smooth up-and-under on the left block to give the Cardinals their first lead of the game, 18-16, in the second quarter. UIW pushed the difference to five behind a pair of free throws from Kaylee Howell and De Leon Negron's second 3-pointer of the half (23-18). The Hilltoppers hung around, cutting the score to 23-20 in the final minutes of the first half.
 
Two quick buckets from SEU put the Hilltoppers back up one, 24-23, to start the second quarter, but that would be the last time they led the remainder of the game. A big 3-point play from Jorja Elliott boosted the Cardinals' momentum, extending the lead once more to five (38-33). On the next play, Hanna Wheeler found a curling Myra Bell who finished the floater to give UIW the largest lead of the quarter at seven (40-33). SEU never let up, fighting back to a one-point match to end the quarter, 40-39.
 
The final quarter was just as tight as the first three, but the Cardinals outlasted the Hilltoppers, shooting 54.5 percent from the field in the fourth to win the game 57-49.
 
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