SAN ANTONIO – The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team held off Texas Lutheran University, 57-51, on Thursday afternoon to go 2-0 this week at the McDermott Center.

In another balanced scoring effort, Brynn Lusby led the Cardinals with 11 points, Myra Bell added 10 third-quarter points, and both Raimi McCrary and Madison Cockrell finished with eight points apiece.

Both the Cardinals and Bulldogs came out the gates slow, adjusting to the 11 a.m. start. Texas Lutheran found its rhythm first, going up 9-2 five minutes into the game. UIW made some substitutions, and the Cardinals scored five quick bench points to end the quarter down, 11-8.

Dorian Norris drained a corner three as the shot clock winded down to tie the game, 13-13, in the second quarter. McCrary and Lusby pulled up for jumpers in the paint and Jorja Elliott nailed a three from the wing to hand the Cardinals the 20-13 advantage and their largest lead of the first half. UIW outscored TLU 14-9 in the quarter and held off the Bulldogs for a 22-20 halftime lead.

TLU reclaimed its lead just a minute into the second half with an elbow jumper followed by a three for the 28-24 edge. Cockrell fought her way to the free throw line to get the Cardinals on the board in the second half and cut the deficit to two (28-26). Bell exploded halfway through the second quarter, adding eight quick points, including a pair of three-point plays to spark UIW's offense and a 34-31 Cardinal lead. UIW pulled away from TLU by 10, heading into the final quarter up, 45-35.

The Bulldogs pulled back within five points with six minutes to go in the game (47-42), but UIW doubled down in the paint as Lusby and McCrary put themselves in positions for three-point plays. The Cardinals were able to hold off the Bulldogs until the end, taking the 57-51 win.

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