Lions Fall to Incarnate Word, 77-60

Incarnate Word scored 22 of the final 32 points of the game en route to a 77-60 win over the Texas A&M University-Commerce women¹s basketball team on Tuesday afternoon.

Incarnate Word (7-4) had four of its five starters and made 85.2% of its free throws in the win. Hayley Harvey scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds to lead the Cardinals. Jasmine Smith, who had 15, Cinnamon Kava, who added 14 and Nia Torru, who chipped in 11, joined her in double digits.

Texas A&M-Commerce (3-6) was led by Mattilyn McIntyre, who scored a game-high 18. Nakazi Glover and Deltrice Daniel, who each scored 11, joined her in double figures and Ashley Murphy grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds in the defeat for the Lions.

The two teams were tied for four times in the opening 5:11 of the game until a 13-2 run ­including a 9-0 spurt ­ that put UIW in front by a 21-10 margin with 8:51 left in the first half.

A&M-Commerce scored the next six points to get the deficit to as little as five; however, the Cardinals retaliated with six straight of their own. The Lions had an answer as they closed out the half with a 5-0 run and found themselves behind 27-21 at the halftime break.

The Lions managed to reduce the deficit to five on a pair of occasions, including with 6:46 left in the game. With a five-point lead, 55-50, Incarnate Word scored 22 of the final 32 points in the game, including a 13 for 16 effort at the free throw line to seal the victory.

A&M-Commerce returns to action on Wednesday at 4 pm when they take on host St.
Mary's in the final game of the St. Mary's New Year's Classic.