SAN ANTONIO – Balanced scoring was the name of the game for the University of the Incarnate Word Women's Basketball team on Saturday afternoon. Three Cardinals scored in double-digits while UIW scored 24 bench points during the 67-55 victory over McNeese State at the McDermott Center.
 
Nina De Leon Negron (16), Destiny Terrell (14), and Aliyah Collins (10) led the Cardinals in scoring with both De Leon Negron and Terrell securing double-doubles. Terrell finished with an impressive seven offensive rebounds.
 
The Cardinals came out with high energy and Jorja Elliott nailed a quick 3-pointer before the Cowgirls scored seven straight points. UIW chipped away and cut the lead to two to end the first with a score of 12-10.
 
Terrell stopped an 8-0 start to the second half for the Cowgirls with an offensive rebound and a putback (20-12). Kaylee Howell subbed in with four quick points for the Cardinals and two buckets from Myra Bell handed UIW back the lead. A layup from Terrell extended the lead to three (27-24), with McNeese immediately answering with a triple of their own. Hanna Wheeler came off the bench, draining a three off an offensive rebound from Terrell to tie the game up at 27-27. The Cowgirls snuck in one more bucket before halftime to claim a two-point lead.  
 
Five early points behind a pair of free throws and a layup extended the McNeese lead to 33-27. A huge play from Brenna Perez tied the game up (38-38) and shifted momentum back to the Cardinals as Nina De Leon Negron nailed a 3-pointer at the top of the key to take a 41-38 Cardinal lead. De Leon came up big once more, finishing a 3-point play for a 46-40 advantage, the largest for the Cardinals yet. UIW hung onto the lead and ended the quarter up, 52-46.
 
The Cardinals saw a 10-point lead in the beginning of the fourth and carried that energy until the end of the game with a 67-55 victory over the Cowgirls.
 
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