SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word men's basketball team lost two more close games on the road this week. The first in overtime to McNeese, 76-78 on Thursday, and the second to Nicholls 84-74 on Saturday afternoon. 

In the first game of the week Trey Miller (19 points) and Jonathan Cisse (18 points) led the team in scoring, while Stephon Payne III added 14 points. 

UIW got out to an early lead and was able to hold it most of the first half getting up by as many as nine points with 8:58 left in the first. However, the Cardinals were called for 11 personal fouls, giving up 13 free throws to allow the Cowboys to stay in the game, but UIW led at the half 36-34.

In the second half, both teams were called for 10 fouls and went 12-14 from the line. This time it would be McNeese who held a slight lead for most of the half and the Cardinals made a late push to even things up. At the end of regulation, the teams were knotted up at 69. In overtime McNeese did not miss from the field and finished the game up 78-76.

In the second game of the week, the Cardinals had an outstanding night from the 3-point line. As a team, UIW hit a season high 12 3-pointers. Josh Morgan made seven of those while scoring a season high 23 points. Jonathan Cisse also had 23-point game.

It was a tough start for the Cardinals on the defensive end as Nicholls made nine of their first 10 shots of the game. However, UIW was able to stick around knocking down three early 3-pointers and shooting 100 percent from the line. The game remained close until late in the first half the Colonels scored six points on three turnovers pushing their lead to 10. The Cardinals weathered the storm as Cisse made four free throws down the stretch to send the game into halftime with a 39-33 score. 

Morgan scored the first nine points of the second half for the Cardinals, cutting the deficit to one, 44-45. Throughout the remainder of the half, both teams traded runs. The Colonels would capitalize on a few turnovers scoring 24 points in transition during the second half and the Cardinals would respond with hot shooting from behind the arch knocking down eight 3-pointers, seven of which came from Morgan. Down the stretch Nicholls once again found their rhythm and only missed three shots in the final five minutes of the game taking the win by a final score of 84-75.

The Cardinals will be back in the McDermott Center next week for games against Northwestern State and Teas A&M – Commerce. 

FOLLOW ALONG 
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