TULSA, Okla. -- The University of the Incarnate Word women's basketball team delivered a statement-making performance in its season opener, rallying past Tulsa for a 63-57 road victory over the Hurricanes. Kayanna Cox led the Cardinals' comeback effort, scoring 18 points in the fourth quarter to overtake Tulsa in the final minutes and secure the victory.
UIW made a defensive statement early, holding Tulsa scoreless through the first three and a half minutes of the game, forcing back-to-back shot clock violations on the Hurricanes' early possessions. The Cardinals' defensive pressure fueled a 7-0 start, with freshman guard N'Kiyah Burge leading the early offensive effort with a team-high seven points in the first quarter. Tulsa responded with a late push, cutting the deficit to three, 19-16, heading into the second quarter.
Tulsa began to adapt in the second quarter, pushing the pace and putting together an 8-2 run to tie the game at 24. Costly turnovers opened the door for the Hurricanes, who went ahead to take the lead for the first time, as they outscored UIW 14-9 in the period. Tulsa also found success defensively, limiting the Cardinals' shooting percentage from 63.6% to 45.6% and carrying a 30-28 advantage into halftime.
The Cardinals had their toughest offensive stretch in the third quarter, allowing Tulsa to build its largest lead of the game at 41-36 with 3:43 remaining in the quarter. UIW finished with just 12 points, with half coming from the free-throw line as the Cardinals went 6-for-11 at the stripe.
It was a perfect storm for the Cardinals in the fourth quarter as Tulsa began to face foul trouble and Cox caught fire offensively. The Cardinals brought it within two 52-50 before the media timeout, before Cox knocked down a three out of the break to give UIW its first lead since the second quarter. Tulsa quickly fired back with a three of its own to retake their lead.
With foul trouble continuing to mount for the Hurricanes, A'Maya Holton drove to the basket for a game-tying layup, setting the stage for UIW's late-game surge. The Cardinals kept the Hurricanes scoreless in the final two minutes of the game, closing on a 9-0 run. Cox accounted for six, finishing her dominant fourth quarter with 18 points to lead UIW to a 63-57 comeback victory.
Notables:
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Cox finished with 18 points in the quarter, for a career-high 23 points in just 19 minutes. She added a team-leading four blocks and three rebounds.
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Five players made their Cardinal debuts on Tuesday night, including two freshmen, Zaviyana Madison and Burge, who made their way into the starting lineup.
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Burge led the Cardinals with nine rebounds, adding nine points, nearing a double-double in her collegiate debut.
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Morgan Borgstadt and A'Maya Holton joined Cox in double-figure scoring with 10 and 11 points, respectively.
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The Cardinals held Tulsa's returning leading scorer, Mady Cartwright, who averaged 15.23 points per game last season, to just two points in the first half.
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The two teams finished nearly even across the stat sheet. UIW shot 45% from the field and 14% from three-point range, compared to Tulsa's 43% and 15%, respectively. Both teams recorded 33 rebounds, while the Cardinals added 25 bench points to Tulsa's 24. UIW also committed 16 turnovers to Tulsa's 17.
Incarnate Word continues its road trip on Saturday, Nov. 7, traveling to El Paso to take on UTEP at 2 p.m. MT. The game will be available to stream on Mountain West+ (subscription required).
FOLLOW ALONG
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