- Box Score
SAN ANTONIO – The TexAnn basketball team extended their winning streak to eight straight games with a 70-62 win in San Antonio Wednesday night over the Cardinals.
Tarleton got off to a slow start committing some early turnovers, but luckily the TexAnns were able to limit Incarnate Word's scoring as well.
After the first four minutes of the game, Tarleton trailed 5-4 with their only baskets coming on a pair Brittnie Haley jumpers in the paint.
Coming out of the first media break, the TexAnns jumped out to a 10-4 run on a pair of Tara Towns three-pointers and baskets by Shelby Adamson and Kelsey Benford. This gave Tarleton momentum going into the second media time out with a 14-9 lead.
The TexAnns continued to build on their lead, extending it to nine by the 7:12 mark, but the Cardinals responded with a 7-2 run of their own to cut the lead to four with 5:13 remaining.
Benford ended Tarleton's scoring woes with a jumper at the top of the key to give the TexAnns a 28-22 lead with the clock ticking under four minutes.
Sonya Sundberg hit a clutch three at the 3:33 mark to give Tarleton back a nine-point advantage.
Defense was stepped up by both teams in the last few minutes of the half, but Sundberg hit another crucial three pointer with one second remaining to give the TexAnns a 10-point lead, 37-27, at the half.
Towns led all scorers at the half with nine points, all coming off a trio of three's, while Haley added eight points and three rebounds. Benford and Sundberg both chipped in six points, with Sundberg also adding four assists. Adamson had a productive first half in a number of categories with five points, three assists and two steals.
Tarleton shot 53.8 percent from the floor and hit five of their eight attempts from behind the arc. They held Incarnate Word to just 31.0 percent from the floor and just 1-of-4 from deep. Chloe Wallace led the Cardinals with eight points and four rebounds over the first 20 minutes.
Entering the second half with a double-digit lead, the TexAnns were looking to extend on that advantage, but it was Incarnate Word that got off to a fast start. The Cardinals scored two quick and easy baskets, forcing head coach Ronnie Hearne to call an early time out to regroup his team.
Tarleton was finally able to get on the board in the second half when Sundberg converted on a runner in the paint, ending the TexAnns scoring drought. She followed that up with a nice lob pass that was turned into a basket by Stehling, giving Tarleton the 41-32 lead with 15:19 on the clock.
Over the next four minutes, the TexAnns and Cardinals exchanged baskets before fast break lay-ups by Tomika Lynce and Adamson gave Tarleton their biggest lead of the night with an 11-point advantage.
The TexAnns got their lead to as high as 13 by the 10:30 mark, but Incarnate Word would not give up, cutting the lead back down to nine with under eight minutes left in the game.
The Cardinals continued to chip away at the lead, as Tarleton tried to maintain the margin. The TexAnns found themselves with an eight-point lead and just 5:45 remaining.
Bledsoe was able to get the lead back to double-digits with a tough, contested lay-up in the paint, followed by a pair of free throws by Adamson to put Tarleton back up by 13 points.
Over the final four minutes of the game, Incarnate Word's desperation became apparent as they began to shoot ill-advised shots. The TexAnns took advantage and sealed the game up, converting on late free throws.
Tarleton finished the season sweep of the Cardinals with a 70-62 victory. The TexAnns improve to 18-2 overall this year and stay undefeated at 8-0 in the Lone Star Conference South Division.
Adamson led Tarleton with 14 points, 10 of which came at the charity stripe, to go along with five assists and three steals. Sundberg chipped in 10 points and five assists, while Towns, Haley, Wright and Benford all scored over eight points. Benford grabbed eight boards, but the TexAnns were led once again by Wright's 12 boards, her second straight game doing so.
As a team, Tarleton shot 48.1 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from behind the arc. They held the Cardinals to 33.3 percent shooting and just 25 percent from three-point range. Chloe Wallace led UIW with 18 points, while Ifunanya Mora added 14 and Katy Cooke added 12 points.
The TexAnns out-scored the Cardinals 32-28 in the paint and out-rebounded UIW 43-30.
Coach Hearne discussed his team's effort off the bench after the game.
“Kiara (Wright), Brianna (Bledsoe), and Tomika (Lynce) really stepped up for us tonight,” said Hearne. “Kiara is going to be a great player for Tarleton and showed that tonight. Brianna was able to get to the basket and contributed well, and I though Tomika gave us some good, productive minutes.”
Coach Hearne also talked about his team's overall production.
“We played really hard tonight and it was not an easy game,” said Hearne. “They hung in there and I'm just glad we are going home with the victory.”
The TexAnns return home to Stephenville to host Eastern New Mexico Saturday night at 5 p.m. in Wisdom Gym for the second game in that series.
