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Men's Basketball News

CALDWELL FIRST D-II ALL-AMERICAN -- posted Thursday, April 10 2008

Incarnate Word’s sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell has taken another step up the honors ladder as he has been named honorable mention All-America by d2basketball.com.

Caldwell is the first basketball player from a San Antonio university to earn All-American honors since Incarnate Word moved to the NCAA and Division II back in the 1999-2000 schoolyear.

Earlier this spring, the San Antonio Marshall High School product was named Heartland Conference player of the year after finishing first or second in four league statistical categories.

The next step was his selection to the Daktronics All-South Region second team. This honor was for players from three conferences with 34 schools in six states.

Now comes his All-American designation. The d2basketball.com honor list, in addition to Caldwell, includes three other players from Texas schools. Caldwell is the only Heartland representative.

He led the Cardinals in scoring and established two school records for three-point field goals made in a season and a career. Over the course of the season, while leading UIW in 10 categories, he had double-figure points in 26 of his 28 games with 20 or more 11 times. This season he had personal career highs in points, rebounds and assists.

CALDWELL COMES UP BIG IN HEARTLAND HONORS -- posted Friday, March 14 2008

Incarnate Word’s Pierce Caldwell not only has been voted All-Heartland Conference but he has garnered the league’s top individual award.

At the conclusion of the 2007-2008 basketball season, Caldwell has been named the Heartland’s player of the year by the league’s coaches.

Among the Heartland’s 12 statistical categories, the San Antonio Marshall High School product was top 10 in six and led the conference in three of those. He was first in free throw percentage (.875), first in three-point percentage (.444) and first in three’s made (91). His 18.5 points a game, which led UIW, was second best in the conference.

His other high finishes in Heartland statistics were ninth in assists and ninth in assist to turnover ratio.

As a sophomore guard, this is Caldwell’s first time to be All-Heartland first team. A year ago he was voted the league’s freshman of the year.

In leading UIW to a 17-11 season mark, Caldwell set a school mark with his 91 made three-pointers and after just two seasons he is the Incarnate Word all-time leader with 169 successful three’s.

In other Heartland voting, forward Tracy Robinson was named co-freshman of the year. The San Antonio Sam Houston graduate averaged 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. Inside the conference he was among the leaders in six categories.

Also, senior forward Cameron Teague and junior guard Eric Nuncio received honorable mention All-Heartland Conference. Following the recent conference championships, Teague was voted all-tournament. Nuncio led UIW and the Heartland in assists (6.25) and steals (2.57).

ALL-HEARTLAND CONFERENCE

FIRST TEAM
Pierce Caldwell, Incarnate Word, SO
Shawn Weinstein, St. Edward’s, SR
Daniel Pierre, St. Edward’s, SR
Will Stephenson, Oklahoma Panhandle, SR
Robert Harris, Texas / Permian Basin, Jr

SECOND TEAM
Latez Williams, St. Mary’s, SR
Chris Swan, Texas A&M International, JR
Nick Michels, Dallas Baptist, SR
Marcus Hill, St. Mary’s, SR
Ryan Bradley, Newman, JR

HONORABLE MENTION
Taylor Mullenax, St. Edward’s
Manny Montano, Dallas Baptist
Eric Nuncio, Incarnate Word
Cole Elliott, Newman
Shelby Lewis, Dallas Baptist
Derek Barnes, Texas A&M International
Cameron Teague, Incarnate Word
Lorenzo Anthony, St. Mary’s

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Pierce Caldwell, Incarnate Word

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Robert Harris, Texas / Permian Basin

CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Shelby Lewis, Dallas Baptist
Lorenzo Anthony, St. Mary’s

CO-FRESHMEN OF THE YEAR
Braxton Adamson, Dallas Baptist
Tracy Robinson, Incarnate Word

COACH OF THE YEAR
Ryan Marks, St. Edward’s

CALDWELL GETS REGIONAL HONOR -- posted Wednesday, March 12 2008

After leading Incarnate Word in scoring and being ranked among the top nine in six different Heartland Conference statistical categories Pierce Caldwell has been named to the Daktronics All-South Central second team.

Caldwell, a sophomore guard from San Antonio Marshall High School, was the sole representative of the Heartland Conference on either the first or second teams. The South Central Region of the NCAA Division includes three conferences totaling 34 universities in a five-state area.

At the conclusion of the season when the Cardinals went 17-11, Caldwell averaged 18.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He led the Heartland in free throw percentage (.875), three-point field goal percentage (.433), and three’s made (91). Those 91 made three’s are a new UIW school record breaking his own mark of 78 a year ago.

Additionally, Caldwell was the only sophomore on the select squads.

DAKTRONICS ALL-SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

FIRST TEAM
Cory Abercrombie, C, SR, Pittsburg State
Scooby Johnson, F, SR, Texas A&M / Commerce
Sam Belt, G, SR, Central Oklahoma
Avery Patterson, G, SR, Tarleton State
Leslie Malone, F, JR, Cameron (Okla)

SECOND TEAM
Robert Lee, G, SR, West Texas A&M
DeAndre Townsend, G, SR, Emporia State (Kan)
Eric Williams, F, JR, Tarleton State
Pierce Caldwell, G, SO, Incarnate Word
Nate Perry, F, SR, Southwestern Oklahoma

CO-REGIONAL PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Cory Abercrombie
Scooby Johnson

CARDINALS FALL IN TOURNAMENT SEMI'S -- posted Friday, March 7 2008

ST. MARY'S 62, INCARNATE WORD 56

It was the sixth time in two seasons Incarnate Word and St. Mary's have gotten together for a game of basketball and once again it was a narrow margin of victory as St. Mary's went against the tournament seedings and defeated Incarnate Word by 62-56 in Heartland Conference action in Denton.

It was the semi-finals of the championship tournament and going in UIW was seeded second to St. Mary's third. The Cardinals end their season at 17-11 while the Rattlers now have a mark of 16-12 and move on to the finals to play top-seeded St. Edward's. The winner gets the automatic bid to the Division II regional tournament.

The six-point Rattler margin was the second largest in the two years. The largest was seven in a St. Mary's win earlier this year. A year ago in this same tournament the Cardinals won with a three-point margin.

On Friday, the real difference came at the free throw line where St. Mary's had a plus-nine advantage and in the rebounding department where the Rattlers prevailed with a plus-nine. St. Mary's had 16 boards on the offensive end resulting in a 16-8 advantage on second-chance points.

St. Mary's led the entire contest with the exceptions of two ties both of which came in the first four minutes and two seconds of the game. Its lead however never reached double figures.

Incarnate Word managed to get the game to a one-point affair at the 6:53 mark of the second half when junior forward Chris Patterson made a pair at the line. It was 44-43. But St. Mary's immediate went 7-2 on one three-pointer and four of four at the line. In those final minutes the Rattlers were 8-12 on freebies most coming after fouls by the Cardinals in an attempt to extend the game.

The Cardinals had three players exit the game with the maximum five fouls including their season's leading scorer Pierce Caldwell who played but 21 minutes the entire night because of his foul problems. He finished with two points.

The UIW leader was senior forward Cameron Teague who posted 12 points. Two other Cardinals cracked the double figure margin in the low-scoring contest. Both Patterson and junior forward Garrett Bell had 11.

The top Incarnate Word rebounder was senior forward Isaiah Bryant who had 10 caroms. For the game, UIW shot 42.2 per cent from the field including just 3-21 on three's.

HEARTLAND BASKETBALL ON LIVE TV -- posted Tuesday, March 4 2008

The Heartland Conference men’s basketball tournament is set for March 7 and 8, at the University of North Texas and all the action will be telecast live.

Incarnate Word is one of four teams which have qualified to compete for the league title and the automatic bid to the NCAA Division II regional tournament.

The four are St. Edward’s University (#1 Seed – 9-1), University of the Incarnate Word (#2 Seed - 6-4), St. Mary’s University (#3 Seed - 6-4), Dallas Baptist University (#4 Seed – 5-5). UIW is the number two seed because the Cardinals defeated St. Edward’s during conference play, while St. Mary’s loss each time to St. Edward’s.

The bracket for the tournament is:

Friday, March 7 – Semifinal Games
Game 3 – 5:00 – St. Edward’s vs. Dallas Baptist
Game 4 – 7:30 – UIW vs. St. Mary’s

Saturday, March 8 – Championship Games
Game 2 – Men’s Championship – 5:30

All action will take place in the "Super Pit" at University of North Texas. All games will be webcast via the Summit Ticket Live Sports Network.

Click the "Live" button's below to be connected. Both live and archived (on-demand) video and audio of each playoff game will be webcast free.

Click here to access the Live Broadcast.

Click here to access the Live Audio Broadcast.

SENIOR LEADS SENIOR NIGHT WIN -- posted Saturday, March 1 2008

INCARNATE WORD 102, OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE 60

It went as the script would have it Saturday night as a senior, on senior night, led Incarnate Word to a 102-60 Heartland Conference win over Oklahoma Panhandle in a game played in the McDermott Center.

In the final home game of the season, as is traditional, the Cardinals offered special recognition to the team’s senior players. And on cue, forward Cameron Teague rose up and posted his UIW career highs of 26 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season.

The second senior on the squad, forward Isaiah Bryant, was severely limited by foul trouble and finished with two points and four rebounds, noticeably lower than his season averages.

With the victory, Incarnate Word now prepares for the upcoming Heartland Conference championship tournament set for March 7 and 8 in Denton. At 6-4 in league play, the Cardinals are spot up with St. Mary’s for second and third seedings which means they will play each other. The other semi-final game pits top seed St. Edward’s against the fourth seed Dallas Baptist.

On the year, UIW finishes the regular season at 17-10 while Oklahoma Panhandle goes to 10-16 including 2-8 in the Heartland.

It took one and one-half minutes at the start for either team to find the range. OPSU got the first basket for a 2-0 lead at the 18:29 mark. That was the only time all night the Aggies would be on top as UIW got a three from junior guard Eric Nuncio and went ahead to stay.

With a 13-point margin, 42-29, the Cardinals set the overall tone for what apparently would be the end of the first half.. But in the final 43 seconds UIW put in seven consecutive points and suddenly it was a 20-point lead at the half. Junior forward Chris Patterson was the man in all this. He made a layup, stole the ensuring pass and canned a jumper and the attached free throw after a foul. Teague got a tipin of a missed shot right at the buzzer to complete the run.

When the second half began, again it was slow going both ways. Nuncio made a layup at the 18:09 mark for the first points of the last half and another UIW run was on. In the next six and one-half minutes the Cardinals ran away by 20-8 and the lead was into the 30s.

For the night, supporting Teague’s effort, sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell finished with 20 points while Nuncio had 18. Also in double figures were Patterson who had a double-double of 17 and 10, and freshman forward Tracy Robinson who ended with 10 points.

Shooting the ball the Cardinals were superlative at 55.6 per cent for the game. Also, the rebounding margin was dominating for UIW at 52 to 26.

UIW DROPS HOME GAME TO UTPB -- posted Thursday, February 28 2008

TEXAS / PERMIAN BASIN 89, INCARNATE WORD 81

The Falcons flew wire-to-wire Thursday night as Texas / Permian Basin came to the McDermott Center and departed with an 89-81 victory over Incarnate Word in non-conference action.

UTPB opened with two three-pointers from Charles Harper sandwiched around a layup from UIW’s Isaiah Bryant and the mood of the game pretty much was set with a mere 1:35 off the initial clock. Every time Incarnate Word seemed to have something working Permian Basin answered.

The Falcons improved to 11-15 on the year while UIW dropped to 16-10. While these teams are members of the Heartland Conference the game was a non-counter with UTPB continuing to fulfill a provisional period as the Falcons convert to the NCAA Division II.

Pushing off on Harper’s beginning, he ended the night with 23 points, UTPB extended the margin to double figures at the 3:41 mark when Robert Harris made another three and it was 38-27. Harris was the game’s top point-producer with 28.

From beyond the arc, the Falcons were 13-38 for the night while UIW was 5-22. The noticeable advantage to Permian Basin was at the free throw line where it was 26-35 to just 14-22 for the Cardinals. Added together those categories provided a 20-point margin for UTPB making it an uphill climb for Incarnate Word, all night.

Incarnate Word got to within five at 56-51 with 13:37 showing on the second half clock but the Falcons went off 9-2 in the next four minutes and the game seemingly was safe. The Cardinals began to scramble with good results and the margin was back down to five again with 2:38 remaining in regulation. The score at that point was 78-73. But that would be it.

For Incarnate Word, sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell was the leader with his 24 points and a career high 12 rebounds for the first double-double of his career. He also had six assists and a steal.

Three other UIW guys were in double points topped by 16 from senior forward Cameron Teague. Freshman forward Tracy Robinson was next up with 13 followed by junior forward Chris Patterson and his 10.

The Cardinals close out their regular season on Saturday when Oklahoma Panhandle comes to the McDermott Center. Tipoff for Incarnate Word’s senior night, honoring Teague and Isaiah Bryant, will be at 8 p.m.

After that comes the Heartland’s championship tournament March 7-8 in Denton.

TWO CARDINALS GAMES LIVE ON INTERNET -- posted Thursday, February 28 2008

The final home basketball games at Incarnate Word, women and men, are set for live streaming over the internet.

Saturday, March 1, the Cardinals will host Oklahoma Panhandle in Heartland Conference action and both contests will be available to fans worldwide. The women tipoff at 6 p.m. in the McDermott Center while the men will go at 8 p.m.

Each year the NCAA through CSTV selects games in Division II for streaming. This is the second straight year for Incarnate Word to be included in the national schedule. The NCAA through its subcontractors provides the video presentation while the audio will come from Incarnate Word’s KUIW internet broadcast.

The link to watch the Cardinals in action is: http://www.ncaasports.com/dii.

NUNCIO GETS HEARTLAND HONOR -- posted Wednesday, February 27 2008

In a week when Incarnate Word played but one lone game, junior guard Eric Nuncio made the most of the opportunity and now has been named Heartland Conference player of the week.

The one game was a traditional biggie. It was the annual game between UIW and St. Mary’s played at St. Mary’s.
The Cardinals won in overtime and that was when Nuncio shown the brightest.

During regulation, from mid-second half on, when the Cardinals outscored St. Mary’s 24-7 to tie and force overtime, the San Antonio Taft product contributed six of the 24 points. When overtime got underway, he connected on consecutive three-pointers to put UIW on top for the first time all night and then got a layup for a total of eight points in the extra period.

For the night, he finished with a game high 27 points, two rebounds, a game high six assists and a game high three steals. In getting his 27 points, he shot 8-13 from the field including 3-6 on three’s and he was 8-9 at the free throw line.

RALLY COMES UP SHORT IN UIW LOSS -- posted Monday, February 25 2008

ST. EDWARD'S 76, INCARNATE WORD 67

Incarnate Word positioned itself for another furious comeback Monday night in Austin but could not get over the hump in a 76-67 Heartland Conference loss at St. Edward's.

Just two nights after erasing a 17-point second half lead to win at St. Mary's in overtime, the Cardinals found themselves trailing by 13, 49-36, at the 14:31 mark of the second half. With 4:27 remaining in regulation junior forward Garrett Bell made a layup and the Hilltopper lead was down to a pair at 61-59. Less than a minute later freshman forward Tracy Robinson made another cripple and the Cardinals again were within two at 63-61.

But then St. Edward's ran off a string of 7-2 to gain control of the game and UIW could expect no miracle on this night.

In the first half Incarnate Word worked itself to a 12-point lead at 27-15 but according to recent patterns that was way too early. Prior to Monday night, the Cardinals had played three consecutive overtime games including a triple extra period affair at Newman. UIW was 2-1 in those.

The factor forcing the Cardinals into a hurry up mode came when SEU expanded a halftime lead of 31-30 by scoring the first 11 points of the second period to go up 42-30 at the 17:29 mark. The Cardinals committed four turnovers on their first four possessions of the second half to fuel the Hilltoppers' streak.

With the win, St. Edward's assured itself of top seed for the March 7 and 8 Heartland championship tournament to be played out in Denton. SEU is now 8-1 in league play and 20-5 on the year. The Hilltoppers now have won 15 of their last 16 games with the only loss coming back on January 24 at Incarnate Word.

UIW is 16-9 for the season and 5-4 in conference action. Monday's loss drops the Cardinals into a second place tie with St. Mary's for the potential second seed. Dallas Baptist holds down the fourth and final tournament spot with a 5-5 record. Incarnate Word has one conference tilt remaining and it is March 1 at home against Oklahoma Panhandle.

In Monday's game, Incarnate Word got double points from four players led by 17 from sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell. Robinson and senior forward Isaiah Bryant both contributed 13 while Monday's overtime hero, junior guard Eric Nuncio, had 11 to go with a game high seven assists.

All team statistical categories were amazingly even save the free throw stripe where St. Edward's enjoyed a seven-point margin going 20 of 29 to 13-19 for UIW.

UIW WINS ANOTHER THRILLER AT ST. MARY'S -- posted Saturday, February 23 2008

INCARNATE WORD 83, ST. MARYS 80 OT

The Cardinals never led Saturday night until nearly the mid-point of overtime but Incarnate Word turned up the pressure and secured an overtime win at St. Mary's in Heartland Conference action.

With the UIW victory the two split the regular season series and set up a probable third meeting in the first round of the Heartland's post-season championship tournament. The Cardinals are now 5-3 in league play and sitting as the second seed with two conference games to play. UIW is 16-8 on the year. St. Mary's is now 5-4 in the Heartland and occupying third. The Rattlers are 12-12 for the year.

All that aside, overtime belonged to junior guard Eric Nuncio. He was the game's leading scorer with 27 and he was the contest's top assists guy with six. But none of the points were more important than the eight he got in the extra period.

During regulation, the best the Cardinals could manage were two ties. The first was at 65-65 with 1:01 remaining in the second half when senior forward Isaiah Bryant made a layup. The second deadlock was at 0:06 to go when sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell made a pair of free throws.

Strangely, the Rattlers had called a timeout when they were unable to inbound the ball after Nuncio had made a pair at the line to cut the St. Mary's lead to 69-67. Problem was, St. Mary's had no timeouts remaining. On the technical foul call, Caldwell showed steely nerves by making the twosome.

But in overtime, it was Nuncio. Down 73-71 at 3:27, he made a three. Forty-two seconds later, he drilled another trey at the 2:45 mark to put UIW back on top 77- 75. If that weren't enough he put a spin move on his defender and went for a lefthanded layup to expand the margin to 79-74 with 1:24 left.

At that point Caldwell went four for four at the line with St. Mary's forced to foul and extend the game.

Having never had the upper hand at all, the Cardinals saw the Rattlers run off to a halftime lead of 41-34 and then found themselves down by 17, 62-45 with 9:41 to go in regulation.

But here came the heat as Incarnate Word went off on the Rattlers by a 20-3 margin to gain the first tie with one minute and once second to go in regular time. In that 9:40 time frame, St. Mary's was 0-9 from the field and could manage only 3-8 at the line.

Saturday's game only matched the last several encounters between the two teams. Last year UIW won three times by margins of two in three overtimes, by two and by three. The earlier game this year was a literal blowout as St. Mary's won by seven. But it was Incarnate Word's time Saturday and when Bryant corralled the rebound on a missed desperation St. Mary's shot at the end the emotions overflowed and the celebrating began.

While they both have three games remaining on their schedules, it is looking more and more like a third meeting the weekend of Marcy 7-8 in the Heartland tournament.

Incarnate Word jumps right back into action Monday night when the Cardinals head north to play at league-leading St. Edward's. Tipoff is at 8 p.m.

Former Marshall player, once told he was too small, now showing up big -- posted Wednesday, February 20 2008

(Reprinted with permission, NORTHWEST WEEKLY)

By Pat Turner
Contributing Writer

Pierce Caldwell never stopped believing.

Although critics were telling the Marshall High School product he was too slow, too small, too thin and had no ballhanding skills to play college basketball, Caldwell kept the faith.

In the long run, faith overruled and it landed him at Incarnate Word.

After going from walk-on to starter, being named Heartland Conference Freshman of the Year and winning three Player of the Week honors this season, the Incarnate Word sophomore is making believers of the doubters.

Don’t think for a minute Caldwell is resting on his laurels. Although he has already accomplished his goal, Caldwell believes there’s still more to prove.

That is Caldwell’s motivation every time he hits the court. The proof is in the results as he is averaging 18.5 points in helping the Cardinals to a 13-7 season record and 4-2 Heartland mark.

“Last year was such a confidence builder,” Caldwell said. “It gave me a good  opportunity to see how the work I put into it helped. I went to all thesetryout camps and nobody offered me a chance to play except Coach B (UWI coach Ken Burmeister).

“When nobody wanted me that made me want to work harder, because I knew I could do it. I still have to keep working harder, because I want to keep getting better. I want to take basketball as far as I can.”

Caldwell is stepping up his game even more this season. Opponents know he is capable of lighting up the scoreboard and they are applying more defensive pressure.

The one receiving the added attention is adjusting.
He poured in 32 points in Incarnate Word’s recent victory over Texas A&M International. This past week, Caldwell knocked in 19 points against Lincoln and followed with 17 in a win over Newman.

“I’ve learned a lot the past two years,” Caldwell said. “I’ve learned to stay sound and be a sound player. You have to stay focused the entire time.

“This year, I rarely have a wide open shot. I’m having to find ways to make  adjustments, because there is always someone in my face. That has made me a better player. I’m becoming smarter on knowing what I have to do."

Determination is the No. 1 trait that caught Burmeister’s eye while watching Caldwell going through a pickup game with other UIW players. Since he has become a member of the Cardinals, the opinion hasn’t changed.

“He has a great work ethic,” the UIW coach said. “He has done so much and he’s always working to get better. He is learning to play defense. He’s working on his strength and improving his ballhandlng. He’s becoming a better player.”

Marshall coach Terry Morris also witnessed Caldwell’s determination in high school. Like Burmeister, he has no doubt hard work carried his former player to his current role.

“Pierce is someone who is goal driven,” Morris said. “He had a goal to be the best basketball player he could be and he has worked to get to that point. Hard work just comes natural to him. He would be in the gym early working and he would be in there late. Everything he did was to achieve the goal he is showing now.”

Having a passion for basketball makes it easy for Caldwell to be motivated to the extra things. However, inspiration also comes from his mother (Valerie Courtney).

He learned a lot while watching her raise four children as a single parent.  In addition, she also instilled a belief in him to go for his dreams.

“My mom taught me a lot about hard work,” Caldwell said. “She worked from 6 in the morning to 8 at night to support all of his. I learned a lot from her. She helped me believe in myself. She would get up early and take me to those tryout camps. She always kept encouraging me to keep giving my best. She knew I could do it, and I knew I could do it.”

CALDWELL, NUNCIO AMONG NATION’S BEST -- posted Monday, February 18 2008

For Division II basketball, the NCAA posts statistics for some 500 players across the nation. In the latest report, two Incarnate Word players are among the top 39 in five areas.

Sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell has piled up enough numbers to date that he is included in the top 39 in four categories. His 90.0 per cent at the free throw line is seventh in Division II. Then, his 3.4 three-pointers made per game are 11th.

Following that, his 43.4 per cent on three-point shots is 31st while he is 39th overall with his 18.9 points a game.

Junior guard Eric Nuncio is the second Cardinals player to be listed among the elite. He is 13th in the nation in both assists (6.2 a game) and steals (2.5).

On the team side of the statistics, the Cardinals’ best showing is their 79.2 points a game which is 38th among 261 Division II teams considered.

Incarnate Word currently is 15-8 on the season including a 4-3 mark in the Heartland Conference. Next up for UIW is a February 23 game at St. Mary’s with tip-off at 7:30 p.m.

CARDINALS DROP TITANIC STRUGGLE TOL LINCOLN -- posted Sunday, February 17 2008

LINCOLN 103, INCARNATE WORD 101 3OT

Isaiah Bryant tried mightily Saturday night but despite his heroics Lincoln handed Incarnate Word a 103-101 loss in a Heartland Conference triple overtime game played at Lincoln.

The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Cardinals and left them at 15-8 for the year and 4-3 in the Heartland. Lincoln is now 7-15 including 2-4 in the league. Incarnate Word holds on to its third position in the Heartland standings. There are four games remaining on the UIW schedule as teams are jockeying for position in the league's championship tournament set for the first full weekend in March. Four teams get in.

In putting up his UIW career numbers of 30 points and 16 rebounds, Bryant saved the Cardinals' bacon at the end of regulation, and again in the second overtime. The play-by-play account of the second longest game in Incarnate Word history had Bryant's name all over it.

He made one of his five three-pointers at the 17:30 mark of the first half to put UIW up 9-8. That was the last time the Cardinals would lead until there was but 3:48 remaining in the regular game. Bryant made one of two at the line and the Cardinals led 73-72. Lincoln went back on top until Bryant stepped to the line again and made a pair to tie at 77-77 with 35 seconds left in the game.

In the first overtime, Incarnate Word scored first and led by as much as four before Lincoln's Demarkus Madyun drilled a three to tie at 85-85 and send the game to another extra period.

The second extra five minutes saw a seesaw affair with neither team gaining a definite advantage. But with Lincoln on top, it was Bryant again to the rescue. With 41 seconds to go, he made a jump shot to tie it at 92-92 and set up another five minutes.

With 4:33 showing on the clock in the third overtime, Bryant made two free throws to shove UIW on top 94-92. Again, it was back and forth for the two teams. Junior forward Garrett Bell made one of two at the line and it was tied for the 12th time, 101-101. A mere nine seconds remained when the Blue Tigers' Jordan Bradbury sank the decisive jumper.

UIW came down for the shot to tie or go ahead but junior guard Eric Nuncio missed. Freshman forward Tracy Robinson got the offensive rebound for the Cardinals but did not have enough time to get up another attempt.

Bryant led the way for Incarnate Word with his points and rebounds. Robinson got his career high 23 points to go with seven rebounds while sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell contributed 22 points and seven caroms. Nuncio topped his team with nine assists.

Incarnate Word won by 12 at the free throw line and by 16 in the rebounding department. The Cardinals could not overcome the field goal shooting contest as the Blue Tigers fired away at 50.6 for the night while managing seven more good attempts than had the Cardinals. Also, Lincoln benefited from eight less turnovers than UIW.

With four games remaining on its schedule, Incarnate Word now turns its attention to the upcoming February 23 game at St. Mary's. Gametime that night is 7:30 p.m.

CALDWELL LEADS IN OVERTIME WIN -- posted Friday, February 15 2008

INCARNATE WORD 83, NEWMAN 78 (OT)

Sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell put up some career numbers Thursday night in leading Incarnate Word to an 83-78 overtime victory over Newman of Kansas.

Caldwell, a San Antonio Marshall product, got his personal career high 32 points in the non-conference win. Among those 32 tallies were a personal high of eight made three-pointers. He also took time to collect eight rebounds and dish out five assists.

The win pushed UIW to 15-7 for the year with five games to play beginning Saturday at Lincoln in Missouri.

The two teams were tied 30-30 at the half. Then when junior guard Chris Patterson made one of two free throws with 23 seconds remaining they were tied at 66-66 to force the extra period.

In regulation, Incarnate Word was up 61-58 at the 6:31 mark after Patterson had scored a layup. Newman tied it at 61-61 on a three with 6:18 to go. Three minutes later Newman finally scored for a 63-61 lead which held until Patterson’s freebie for the tie and the overtime.

In overtime, Newman got the first basket before Caldwell tied it at 68-68 on a jump shot with 4:00 on the clock. With 2:20 to go it still was tied and when Patterson hit a three putting the Cardinals on top to stay with 2:01 to go and a 75-72 lead.

Shooting was the difference in the extra five minutes. UIW made five of eight attempts for 62.5 per cent including a perfect 3-3 on three’s. The Cardinals won the backboards by 59-49.

In the overtime, Caldwell (7), Patterson (5) and junior forward Garrett Bell (5) dominated for UIW. Caldwell had two assists in the OT, both on three-pointers. On the boards in overtime senior forward Isaiah Bryant collected two rebounds.

Patterson and Bell both scored 14 points as the other Cardinals in double figures. Patterson also posted a double-double with his career high 10 rebounds.

UIW GOES OVER BREAK EVEN MARK -- posted Saturday, February 9 2008

INCARNATE WORD 80, TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL 58

Incarnate Word got its 14th win of the season Saturday night assuring the Cardinals of a better than .500 mark for the second consecutive year under the direction of Coach Ken Burmeister.

Four Cardinals were in double points in the 80-58 victory over Texas A&M International at the McDermott Center. The win put UIW at 14-7 for the season while TAMUI went to 7-12. A year ago, Incarnate Word finished 18-11 snapping a two-year period of failing to reach the break even point.

Incarnate Word has now won four games in a row and has 10 victories in the last 12 games.

Senior forward Isaiah Bryant put up a double-double for the night with a game high 19 points and a game high 12 rebounds. From the field Bryant was 7-10 including 4-5 from beyond the arc. In the last two games Bryant has shot 10 for 13 on three’s for .769. Standing 6-8, Bryant is the tallest player on the Cardinals’ roster.

His more than adequate assistance came from another double-double when senior forward Cameron Teague registered 11 points and 10 rebounds. Next up was freshman forward Tracy Robinson with 14 points, then came sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell with 13.

The only starter not in double points was junior guard Eric Nuncio. He scored nine points but he did reach double figures with a game high 10 assists.

Texas A&M International was led by Chris Swan who scored 18 times.

The game had its significant moments. The first came when UIW broke out of a somewhat close game during the first half. TAMUI got a layup from Jerante Morgan to make it 14-7 for Incarnate Word at the 15:07 mark. The next time anyone looked up to the clock it was 20-7 UIW behind a pair of three-pointers from junior forward Garrett Bell and Caldwell.

The Dustdevils played it even until there was 6:17 remaining in the first period. It was 32-20 Incarnate Word when the Cardinals simply exploded to run the margin to 25 with a 17-2 run. The half ended with Incarnate Word up 49-24.

The apex of the evening for UIW was when Robinson made a layup just one minute into the second half and the Cardinals led by 29 at 53-24. The Dustdevils then shaved 17 points off the lead and got it down to 12 at 61-49 with 8:26 remaining. TAMUI had a good run, trouble was it was down the 29 to begin with.

Junior forward Chris Patterson jumped up at that point for a three-pointer and the Cardinals righted the ship. Teague made a layup at 6:29 and UIW’s lead was back over 20 again at 70-49. The closest TAMUI could get from there out was 17.

The Cardinals now go on the road for the next four games beginning with a contest February 14 at Newman in Kansas.

BASKETBALL’S BELL ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT -- posted Thursday, February 7 2008

Incarnate Word’s Garrett Bell is one of 12 basketball players in a five-state area to be recognized for his accomplishments in the classroom as well as on the court.

Bell has been named to the second unit of the 2008 academic all-district team selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

At Incarnate Word, the junior forward has maintained a 3.87 grade point average while studying for a degree in business. This is his first time to be all-district. In both his previous years at UIW he was selected for the Heartland Conference President’s Honor Roll.

On the court, Bell has been a starter for a large portion of the season in which the Cardinals have posted a 13-7 mark to date and appear headed for a berth in the Heartland’s post-season championship tournament.

Criteria for the CoSIDA honor include at least a 3.2 GPA, and at least sophomore standing at the University. Also, team members must be at least one-year residents of their schools and must be significant contributors to the team’s successes.

HEARTLAND HONOR GOES TO BRYANT -- posted Monday, February 4 2008

In the two wins Incarnate Word recorded during the period January 28 to February 3, senior forward Isaiah Bryaht posted double-doubles both games and that has earned him Heartland Conference player of the week honors.

He averaged 16.5 points and 12.0 rebounds in the pair of contests. He shot 11-14 from the field for an impressive .786.

More impressive still, that shooting included 7-9 on three’s for .778.

He also averaged 3.5 assists. In the win over Newman, he
was 6-8 from the field, all three-pointers.

He had his second double-double of the year with his personal season high 22 points to go with 10 rebounds against Newman. In the previous game against Lincoln, he had his personal best of 14 rebounds.

SURE FIRE CARDINALS WIN OVER NEWMAN -- posted Saturday, February 2 2008

INCARNATE WORD 88, NEWMAN (Kan) 73

INCARNATE WORD 88, NEWMAN (Kan) 73

Bulls-eye accuracy in the first half sent Incarnate Word to a commanding lead at the break and the Cardinals managed to ride it out for an 88-73 victory Saturday night against Newman of Kansas.

In the first 20 minutes of play, if the carnival had been in town UIW could have taken its entire team to the shooting gallery and won all the stuffed animals. The team percentage was 66.7 on 30 field goal attempts and 20 made. That included 9-13 from beyond the stripe.

And the leader of the firing squad, the tallest man on the Cardinals roster, 6-8 senior forward Isaiah Bryant. All he did on the way to piling up his season high 22 points was go five for five from the field in the first half and all five were three-pointers. He had but six home runs prior to this game.

In finishing the night with 22, Bryant became the top UIW scorer and he got his second double-double of the year with a game high 10 rebounds.

The second half was different as the Cardinals shot just 36 per cent from the field, but Newman could never really take advantage as the Jets were on their way to shooting 39.7 for the night.

In the final 20 minutes, Newman did manage to cut the lead to 14 with 9:39 remaining and seemed to be working up to a serious run. Enter UIW sophomore guard and leading team scorer Pierce Caldwell. Within 29 seconds he made consecutive three’s and the lead was back to 20 at 75-55 and the Cardinals were not threatened thereafter. He averages a team best 18.5 on the year.

Junior forward Chris Patterson led three other Cardinals in double points. He had 18 while Caldwell contributed 17 and freshman forward Tracy Robinson finished with 11. Junior guard Eric Nuncio just missed a double-double. He had 10 assists to go with his eight points.

The win was Incarnate Word’s third in a row and its ninth in the last 11 games. The Cardinals are now 13-7 on the season while Newman went to 11-7. The Cardinals will end their five-game homestand when Texas A&M International comes to the McDermott Center for an 8 p.m. game on February 9.

In the first 20 minutes of play, if the carnival had been in town UIW could have taken its entire team to the shooting gallery and won all the stuffed animals. The team percentage was 66.7 on 30 field goal attempts and 20 made. That included 9-13 from beyond the stripe.

And the leader of the firing squad, the tallest man on the Cardinals roster, 6-8 senior forward Isaiah Bryant. All he did on the way to piling up his season high 22 points was go five for five from the field in the first half and all five were three-pointers. He had but six home runs prior to this game.

In finishing the night with 22, Bryant became the top UIW scorer and he got his second double-double of the year with a game high 10 rebounds.

The second half was different as the Cardinals shot just 36 per cent from the field, but Newman could never really take advantage as the Jets were on their way to shooting 39.7 for the night.

In the final 20 minutes, Newman did manage to cut the lead to 14 with 9:39 remaining and seemed to be working up to a serious run. Enter UIW sophomore guard and leading team scorer Pierce Caldwell. Within 29 seconds he made consecutive three’s and the lead was back to 20 at 75-55 and the Cardinals were not threatened thereafter. He averages a team best 18.5 on the year.

Junior forward Chris Patterson led three other Cardinals in double points. He had 18 while Caldwell contributed 17 and freshman forward Tracy Robinson finished with 11. Junior guard Eric Nuncio just missed a double-double. He had 10 assists to go with his eight points.

The win was Incarnate Word’s third in a row and its ninth in the last 11 games. The Cardinals are now 13-7 on the season while Newman went to 11-7. The Cardinals will end their five-game homestand when Texas A&M International comes to the McDermott Center for an 8 p.m. game on February 9.

SIX IN DOUBLE POINTS IN CARDINALS WIN -- posted Thursday, January 31 2008

INCARNATE WORD 92, LINCOLN 65

Balanced scoring and a pair of double-doubles led Incarnate Word to a 92-65 victory over Lincoln Thursday night in Heartland Conference action.

The win moved the Cardinals to 12-7 for the year including 4-2 inside the Heartland. Lincoln on the other hand dropped to 5-12 and 1-3 in league action. With the conference halfway through its schedule now, UIW is solidly in third position in the chase for places in the yearend, championship tournament set for the second weekend in March.

The balanced scoring found six UIW players with 10 or more points led by 19 from sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell, a three-time Heartland player of the week. Next in the long line of points was junior forward Chris Patterson with 15 while senior forward Cameron Teague had 14.

Senior forward Isaiah Bryant chalked up 11 as did junior guard Eric Nuncio while freshman forward Tracy Robinson tallied 10.

The two double-doubles were Bryant with his 11 points and a game-high 14 caroms. Nuncio posted the other feat with the 11 points to go with 14 assists.

Lincoln led by one at 7-6 early in the game before the firepower of the Cardinals began to take hold. Robinson hit a jumper at the 15:11 mark of the first half and the Cardinals were on top 8-7, never to trail again.

For the next nine minutes of the initial half, UIW had a less than 10-point lead. When Caldwell made a three the lead went to 10 and only twice thereafter would it be below that level. Halftime saw UIW up 42-33.

The Incarnate Word lead hung in that range until Caldwell must have decided enough was enough and made three consecutive threes in a less-than-a-two-minute period. When he was done, the score was 57-41 with 14:16 to go in the game.

The UIW margin hung in the teens for the next 10 minutes of action before Bryant got a layup and the Cardinals expanded it to 21 at 81-60 and that was it. There was 3:52 on the timer but for all practical purposes the game was done.

In statistics, the Cardinals had whopping advantages in two prominent areas. They were ahead 50-25 in rebounds and 53.1 per cent to 37.0 per cent from the field.

Next up for Incarnate Word is a Saturday visit from Newman of Kansas in a non-conference game at the McDermott Center. Tipoff is 8 p.m.

UIW PUTS THREE'S ON ST. EDWARD'S -- posted Thursday, January 24 2008

INCARNATE WORD 68, ST. EDWARD’S 63 OT

Spell Eric Nuncio… t-h-r-e-e-p-o-i-n-t-e-r. Then spell it again and that’s what Incarnate Word got Thursday night in its 68-63 overtime win against Heartland Conference leader St. Edward’s.

Late in the second half with the Cardinals (11-7; 3-2) clinging to a narrow lead, Nuncio chasing a loose ball out of bounds ran three rows into the stands stating loudly that he couldn’t make a three-pointer. At the time, with some four minutes remaining in regulation, he was 0-5 from long range.

Finding themselves down by four at 56-52 with a mere 14 seconds remaining in regulation, the Cardinals got an amazingly easy layup from sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell to cut it to two with nine seconds on the clock. After giving up a free throw to the Hilltoppers (12-5; 4-1) and seeing the margin go to three, Nuncio took the out-of-bounds pass and hustled down court to launch a three which settled into the net as the horn sounded. His first make of the night from beyond the arc, giving UIW an overtime life.

In the extra five minutes, the three-pointer returned to UIW’s arsenal. After being 1-11 on three’s in regulation, the one being Nuncio’s hero shot, Caldwell broke a 59-59 tie with a three putting Incarnate Word up by three with 2:47 left.

St. Edward’s tied it again at 63-all with 1:19 remaining on the clock. And then, another phone booth appearance for Nuncio by making a bomb shot at the eight second mark and the Cardinals led 66-63. A necessary foul by the Hilltoppers let Caldwell sealed the deal with a pair at the line.

After the excitement was realized, the win for Incarnate Word pulled the Cardinals within one game of St. Edward’s in the Heartland standings. The win also halted a string that had seen the Hilltoppers win the last five games over Incarnate Word including last year’s Heartland tournament championship game.

That pair of three’s from Nuncio made him the game’s high scorer with 22. All-in-all he was 7-14 from the field including his 2-8 from three-point land. He also hauled in a career high 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the year. And, if that weren’t enough, he led the game with five assists and three steals.

Senior forward Cameron Teague followed with 15 points and nine rebounds while freshman forward Tracy Robinson contributed 13. Caldwell, the conference’s second leading scorer put in 11 for his 17th consecutive game in double figures.

As a team the Cardinals shot an even 50 per cent from the field while St. Edward’s could manage only 36.5 per cent.

Next up for Incarnate Word is a January 31 home game against Lincoln of Missouri. Tipoff at the McDermott Center is at 8 p.m.

CARDINALS DROP LEAGUE GAME -- posted Monday, January 21 2008

ST. MARY’S 67, INCARNATE WORD 60

Incarnate Word dropped out of a second place tie in the Heartland Conference Monday night as the Cardinals dropped a home contest to St. Mary’s, 67-60.

It was another of those tightly-fought, slugfests that are so familiar to fans of both schools. With the win, the Rattlers hold sole possession of second in the Heartland with a 3-1 mark while UIW drops to a third place tie with Lincoln at 2-2.

On the season, St. Mary’s is 9-7 while Incarnate Word is 10-7.

The Rattlers win also snapped a three-game winning string owned by the Cardinals dating to last season.

While these two crosstown rivals are used to games that go back and forth, it was a new experience on Monday, at least in recent memory. St. Mary’s got out early with the first four points of the game before UIW managed to tie it at 5-5 and then take the lead on a three-pointer by senior forward Isaiah Bryant at the 16:32 mark of the first half.

Junior guard Eric Nuncio hit a jumper and Incarnate Word pushed the margin to five at 12-7. But from there, St. Mary’s went off 7-0 before Incarnate Word could score again, a period of
three and one-half minutes. It was 14-14 with 10:36 on the clock.

St. Mary’s got a three from Corey Harbert to lead 17-14 and the Rattlers would never trail the remainder of the night. At halftime it was 37-27.

On two occasions in the second half St. Mary’s pushed the lead to 11, and once Incarnate Word cut the margin to two when sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell made a pair at the line and the score was 57-55, St. Mary’s, with 3:05 to go. Those freebies ended a 7-0 spurt by the Cardinals.

From there the scramble was on over the last three minutes and UIW could not get any closer heading for the final seven-point margin.

The Cardinals had three in double points topped by 15 from Caldwell. Senior forward Cameron Teague contributed 11 while junior guard Chris Patterson completed the trio with 10 points.

Across the statistical sheet, the two teams traded off margins. The Cardinals won the rebounds by 36-32, but turned the ball over 12 times to nine for the Rattlers. Both teams made six from beyond the arc and UIW made 14 free throws to 11 for St. Mary’s.

The one notable difference was field goal shooting. With virtually the same number of attempts, 54-53 for St. Mary’s, the Rattlers shooting percentage for the game was 46.3 to 37.7 for the Cardinals.

Next up for Incarnate Word is a Thursday, January 24, home game against league leader St. Edward’s. Tipoff is 8 p.m. in the McDermott Center.

CARDINALS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT ROAD GAME -- posted Friday, January 18 2008

INCARNATE WORD 95, TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL 81

Incarnate Word gave up the game’s first basket Thursday night and then never trailed again on the way to a 95-81 win at Texas A&M International.

In winning the game, UIW (10-6) recorded its fifth consecutive victory including the last three on the road. And, Thursday’s game sets up the annual clash with St. Mary’s.

This is a home game for the Cardinals, on Monday at 8 p.m. against St. Mary’s, and for the second straight year the contest will be aired live over CTSA-TV, Time-Warner Channel 15.

Back in Laredo on Thursday, after that opening two-pointer by the Dustdevils (4-9), sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell hit the first of his five three-pointers to send the Cardinals ahead for good. The halftime margin was 12 at 53-31.

In the second half, the closest TAMUI could get was 12 points on three occasions as the Cardinals dominated the action, particularly in the shooting departments. From the field UIW fired away at a 52.8 clip (28-53) including being 10-16 on three’s for a 62.5 percentage. At the free throw line, UIW was 29-33 for 87.9.

Caldwell was the main cog in the shooting machine that was Incarnate Word on this night. In recording his career high 31 points, he was 7-13 from the field including 5-6 on home runs. And, at the line, he was even better going a perfect 12-12. He also had seven rebounds.

His support came from 20 points by junior guard Chris Patterson and 14 from junior forward Garrett Bell. Bell’s four assists tied for the team high with a like number from junior guard Eric Nuncio.

Monday’s game is important because it is the first of two meetings this season between the two cross-town rivals. Also, they are tied in the Heartland at 2-1, one game behind leader St. Edward’s (3-0).

SPRINTING CARDINALS GET ROAD WIN -- posted Saturday, January 12 2008

INCARNATE WORD 66, TEXAS / PERMIAN BASIN 60

Incarnate Word won its fourth straight game Saturday night with a 66-60 victory at Texas / Permian Basin in Heartland Conference basketball action.

With the win, the Cardinals jumped their season mark to 9-6 and went to 3-1 in league play. UTPB fell to 3-9 (1-1). Incarnate Word has the four-game string working as well as having won five of its last six games.

Senior forward Cameron Teague led the way to the win with his second double-double of the season with a team high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Eric Nuncio also had 19 points with team highs of four assists and four steals.

Double figures were also put up by sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell with 12 points and junior guard Chris Patterson with 10 rebounds.

In a closely fought first half the score was tied five times and the lead changed hands 13 times. With 7:03 showing on the clock, junior center Christian Weddborn made a layup to give the Cardinals a lead they held until the halftime break. It was 37-33.

The second half brought more of the same as the two squads were even three more times with the margin changing on eight occasions. Junior guard Chris Patterson made two free throws to break the last tie and UIW led 57-55 with 5:27 remaining in the contest.

With a mere two seconds on the final clock, sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell made two at the free throw line and Incarnate Word had a six-point victory. Twice in the first half the Cardinals led by six, their greatest margin of the game.

The difference in shooting percentages was significant as UIW won that area by 47.1 per cent to 37.7. The other noticeable difference was in points off turnovers where the Cardinals dominated 20-8 despite the fact the errors were not lopsided one way or the other; UIW had 13 to UTPB's 15.

Next up for the surging Cardinals is a Thursday, January 17, Heartland game at Texas A&M / International. After that, the annual slugfest with St. Mary's on Monday, January 21. That game will be at UIW with an 8 p.m. tipoff and it will be televised live in San Antonio over CTSA, Time-Warner Channel 15.

CARDINALS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT -- posted Friday, January 11 2008

INCARNATE WORD 76, OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE 66

Incarnate Word won its third straight game Thursday night and its first road victory of the season with a 76-66 decision at Oklahoma Panhandle in Heartland Conference action.

With the win, the Cardinals are now 8-6 on the year and 2-1 in league play. Next up is a road game Saturday night at Texas / Permian Basin and this too is a Heartland affair.

The Cardinals got a near career performance from junior forward Garrett Bell as he paced four UIW players in double points. Bell scored a career high 21 points on 5-10 shooting from the field including 4-7 on three’s. He was 7-8 at the line.

He collected 10 rebounds to post his first-ever double-double.

A mid-first half run of 17-5 by Incarnate Word put the Cardinals up 19-9 at 9:35 remaining. That was the first double-digit lead of the night for UIW. In that stretch, Bell made two of his three’s while junior guard Chris Patterson scored seven of his night’s 14 total points.

Bell made another three at the halftime buzzer and Incarnate Word led by 12, 32-20, its largest margin to that point.

With 16:28 to go in the game, senior forward Cameron Teague made five consecutive points and Incarnate Word had a 17-point margin at 41-24. The lead for UIW would never be below double points from there on. The largest margin of the night was 21, 72-51, after junior guard Eric Nuncio sank a pair of free throws.

Other Cardinals finishing with double points were Patterson (14), sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell (16), and Teague (11). Caldwell topped the Cardinals with his six assists.

UIW WINS SATURDAY SHOOTOUT -- posted Saturday, January 5 2008

INCARNATE WORD 91, HENDERSON STATE 90

Every shooting coach in the Greater San Antonio area, and for that matter some parts of Arkansas, must be smiling after watching or hearing about the Incarnate Word 91-90 win at the McDermott Center Saturday afternoon over Henderson State.

On the day, Henderson State (2-10) as a team shot 67.4 per cent from the field (31-46) including 60 per cent on three-pointers (12-20). And the Reddies were 94.1 per cent at the free throw line (16-17).

But the Cardinals (7-6) weren’t too far behind as UIW’s team shot 56.6 on fielders (30-53) and was 54.2 per cent on home runs (13-24).
And it wasn’t all about the lack of defense either as both squads were making some extremely difficult shots to go with those field goal attempts fans would expect them to make under normal conditions.

Highlight tapes will note two shots in particular. The first came from Incarnate Word’s Eric Nuncio when with his team ahead 84-80 the junior guard rose up out of the deep left corner to nail a three with one second remaining on the shot clock. That put UIW ahead 87-80 with a minute to go in the game giving the Cardinals a seemingly safe margin.

But it wasn’t safe as HSU’s Antoine Vinson would make two free throws and two three-pointers in the final 60 seconds to continually keep the Reddies close. His last three came from the far right corner, glancing off the top edge of the backboard and through the net for the final margin.

Vinson(38) and Jerome Wilson (26) literally carried the load for Henderson State as combined they scored 71 per cent of the team’s 90 points .

Incarnate Word likewise got some heroic performances in the victory. Nuncio led the way with his career high 30 points on 11-17 shooting including 3-6 on three’s. Not too far behind with 20 was junior guard Chris Patterson who has started the last three games and has reached 20 or more points all three times.

Junior forward Garrett Bell had his career high 19 points on 6-10 shooting including 4-5 on three’s. Bell had a stretch of six minutes in the second half that will linger for a while. It began with the first of his two steals followed immediately by an assist to Nuncio for a layup. Then after he made a pair of free throws, Bell proceeded to make a trio of three-pointers in just 45 seconds.

The non-conference win was the Cardinals’ second victory in a row and got them to above .500 at 7-6. This was the final game of the season for UIW that does not count in Heartland Conference standings. Next up for UIW is a game January 10 at Oklahoma Panhandle.

CARDINALS SQUARE SEASON RECORD WITH WIN -- posted Thursday, January 3 2008

INCARNATE WORD 76, DALLAS BAPTIST 69

Incarnate Word picked just the perfect time to right its ship with a Thursday night 76-69 Heartland Conference win over Dallas Baptist in a game played in the UIW McDermott Center.

Having lost four of their last five games, the Cardinals (6-6; 1-1) turned up the heat on the Patriots (3-7; 1-1) to climb into a tie with DBU for the Heartland lead. In the early going, the two are the only conference squads with league games to date. Both are 1-1 after this UIW win. Dallas Baptist back in mid-December had defeated UIW 87-81 in Dallas.

This game was back and forth as the two changed the lead 13 times, and had the score tied eight times over the course of the 40 minutes of action.

After a sluggish first half which ended with a two-point DBU lead at 29-27, the Patriots got the second period’s first field goal. From that 31-27 margin, Dallas Baptist watched the Cardinals go off 8-0 to 38-31 for the largest lead by either team to this point; that was with 18:19 remaining in the game.

But, according to script, the game would have three more ties and four more lead changes. The final lead swap was at 4:55 on the clock when UIW junior guard Chris Patterson jumped up for a swishing three-pointer giving the Cardinals a margin of two, 63-61 with 4:55 to go.

That was the final lead exchange of the night. And it was in the midst of a time, three minutes and 16 seconds to be exact, when Incarnate Word was outscoring the Patriots 11-1 for a 67-61 lead at 3:09. The run was begun with a senior forward Cameron Teague layup, followed by a jumper from junior guard Eric Nuncio who then had a pair of made free throws. Patterson scored on a home run ball before sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell finished it off with another twosome from the line.

Nursing a one-point lead at 67-66 with 1:26 remaining, UIW got a jumper from Caldwell to run it to 69-66 and the parade to the free throw line began. In the final minute, the last 60 seconds, Incarnate Word was 7-10 on free attempts paced by Caldwell’s 4-4.

Patterson started his second consecutive game, and just his second of the year. And for the second consecutive night he put up his UIW career high 22 points to lead the parade. From the field he was 7-14 including 5-10 on three’s and was 3-3 at the line. And, he and Teague tied with a team high seven rebounds each.

Caldwell and Nuncio were next up with 17 tallies each while Caldwell led both teams with his personal career high eight assists.

Over on the DBU side of the stat sheet, two Patriots were in double points topped by 16 from Dwight Coleman. Nick Michels checked in with 13. Coleman topped both squads with his eight rebounds.

While the Cardinals did not shoot the ball particularly well, 37.3 per cent on the night and only 28.1 in the first half, and while they lost the rebound battle 40-31, they scored a significant margin in the second-chance points department. Coming off offensive rebounds, UIW outscored the Patriots by a 17-4 margin.

Next up for the Cardinals is a Saturday 2 p.m. game at home against Henderson State out of Arkansas.

CARDINALS OUTSHOT BY ANGELO STATE -- posted Monday, December 31 2007

ANGELO STATE 88, INCARNATE WORD 79

Angelo State Monday afternoon used a mid-first half surge to overcome any homecourt advantage that might have been in force in defeating Incarnate Word 88-79 in non-conference basketball action at the McDermott Center in San Antonio.

Incarnate Word (5-6) came into the game with a mark of 5-1 at home only to see Angelo State (9-3) light it up from the field. For the game the Rams shot 60.7 per cent on field goals. Broken down, they were 61.5 in the first half and 60.0 in the second.

That first half run began at the 15:15 mark with UIW leading by three at 13-10. That would be the Cardinals high mark for the day and it was made possible when sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell made his first three tries from beyond the arc.
Caldwell was the Cardinals top scorer overall with 24 including 6 of 10 on three-pointers. He was 3-3 at the line and has now made 12 freebies in a row. This was his fourth consecutive game of 20-plus points.

From that point, over the next nine minutes, Angelo State put together a run of 19-4 to get the margin into double figures where it would remain for the majority of the remainder of the contest.

Technically, the Rams between 15:15 and 10:38 got only one layup from Quinn Barfield. It was from 10:38 to 8:27 that the pace quickened for Angelo State. Four three-pointers fueled the run including three from Derrick Webster. Webster came off the bench to pace the Rams with 24 points including 4-4 on three’s.

With the score at 29-17, Incarnate Word would struggle the rest of the day to get closer to the front-runners.

At the outset of the second half, senior forward Cameron Teague made a layup and cut the margin to 47-41 with 16:51 showing on the clock. Then Angelo State did it again by outscoring the Cardinals 18-4 and the lead was at 20, 65-45 with 11:54 to go.

Angelo State got good balance in the scoring column with five players over 10 points led by Webster.

The Cardinals had three in doubles led by Caldwell’s 25. Coming off the UIW bench, junior guard Chris Patterson scored his Incarnate Word high 22 on 9-13 from the field before leaving the contest with five fouls.

Incarnate Word lost starting freshman forward Tracy Robinson with 11 minutes to go in the game after he suffered a blow to the head. At the time he was the leading UIW rebounder with seven.

The Cardinals now have slightly more than 48 hours to prepare for Thursday’s home game against Dallas Baptist as part of Bud Light Week. Over a seven-day period UIW will have played four home games. Standing 1-1 and halfway through Bud Light Week, UIW at 7 p.m. Thursday will re-enter Heartland Conference play. UIW and DBU met December 15 in Dallas and the Patriots prevailed by an 87-81 count.

CALDWELL SHOOTS UIW TO WIN -- posted Sunday, December 30 2007

INCARNATE WORD 78, SUL ROSS 75

The current Heartland Conference player of the week was at it again Sunday afternoon as Incarnate Word got Bud Light Week started by holding off Sul Ross for a 78-75 non-conference victory in the McDermott Center in San Antonio. In the process UIW snapped a three-game losing string.

Sophomore Pierce Caldwell had a game high 23 points including production at key times in the game. This was his third straight game of 20-plus points and it was his ninth game of double points in the 10 times the Cardinals (5-5) have played this year. Also, he has led in scoring eight of the 10 contests.

On the day, he was 8-17 from the field including 3-7 from beyond the arc. In the last five games, he has been 22-42 on three’s for .524. He also was a perfect 4-4 from the free throw line.

Caldwell had help in the points department as the Cardinals benefited from three others in double figures. Junior guard Eric Nuncio was next in line with 15 to go with his game high six assists. Freshman forward Tracy Robinson and senior center Cameron Teague both contributed 13 points.

Junior forward Garrett Bell was the man on the boards as he collected his career high 11 rebounds.

Sul Ross (3-6) proved to be full of fire and peskiness in the first half playing the Cardinals to a standstill. The Lobos had their largest margin of six with 1:39 remaining before the break when the score was 39-33. That margin came thanks to a 7-0 surge. The Lobos led at the break by three, 41-38.

The Alpine-based team got the lead to seven, 48-41 with 16:30 remaining in the contest. At that point, UIW announced enough was enough and promptly used the next eight minutes to go 20-4 and seemingly take control of the game. That score was 61-52 with 8:47 on the clock.

In that run, Caldwell was the spark with seven points on two free throws, a two-pointer and a three. Robinson also was prominent in that time with a pair of home run shots.

But as they had all day long, the Lobos would not go away. Between 4:31 when the Cardinals led by seven at 70-63, and 1:47, SRSU ran off a margin of 10-1 for a two-point lead at 73-71. Sul Ross leading scorer Art Gonzalez had four straight free throws to lead the way. He finished the game with 23.

That would be the last hurrah however as in the final minute and one-half, Caldwell again led the charge with a jumper and a pair at the line. In those final seconds Incarnate Word was 5-6 at the line.

Bud Light Week continues on Monday with a 2 p.m. game against Angelo State in the McDermott Center. Counting Sunday’s contest, the Cardinals will play four home games in seven days.

CARDINALS DROP ONE TO JAVELINAS -- posted Thursday, December 20 2007

TEXAS A&M / KINGSVILLE 78, INCARNATE WORD 67

A streak at the midway point of the first half Thursday night put Texas A&M / Kingsville on top to stay as the Javelinas defeated Incarnate Word 78-67 at the McDermott Center in San Antonio.

TAMUK (8-2) broke out of a 12-12 tie at the 12:50 mark of the first half with seven straight points to take the lead for good. UIW got it to one at 22-21 on a conventional three-point play by junior guard Eric Nuncio but that was all the Cardinals (4-5) could do the rest of the night.

From their halftime lead of 33-29, the Javelinas, fueled by six from Wendell Mulkey scored the first eight points of the second half and the lead went to double figures at 41-29 with 17:39 on the clock. Between 9:58 and 7:46, two-plus minutes, Texas A&M had another spurt of 9-0 to reach an 18-point margin at 62-44. That would be the largest spread of the night.

With the game clock running down the Cardinals upped the pace and managed to cut the margin to eight at 68-60. Trouble was, there was but a single minute remaining. Forced to foul, UIW could only stand watch as the Javelinas made 10 consecutive freebies in the final 54 seconds to reach the final 11-point difference.

Incarnate Word was led by sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell whose 26 points put him over the magical 20-point mark for the third time in this season’s nine games. He was 4-9 on three-pointers to go with seven rebounds and two assists.

Two other Cardinals were in double points. Freshman forward Tracy Robinson posted his first career double-double with 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Junior guard Chris Patterson came off the Cardinals bench to get his career high 14 points on 4-5 from the field and 5-5 at the line. He also had five rebounds and three assists.

The Javelinas had five players in double figure points led by Naquawn Lee’s 18.

Now the Cardinals will break for Christmas before returning to the court for Bud Light Week, a seven-day period between December 30 and January 5 when UIW will play four home games. It all begins December 30 at 2 p.m. with Sul Ross.

UIW COMES HOME AFTER TWO NARROW LOSSES AWAY -- posted Tuesday, December 18 2007

Incarnate Word dropped a pair of road games by narrow margins but now the Cardinals come back to the McDermott Center for a string of home contests stretching all the way to January 5 and including Bud Light Week.

The recent road two-gamer began with the 87-81 loss at Dallas Baptist which was the first Heartland Conference game of the year. A pair of Cardinals, sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell, the current Heartland player of the week, and freshman forward Tracy Robinson led the way with 17 points each.

The next stop was at Midwestern State where UIW took the Mustangs to overtime before falling 81-75. Caldwell again was the top Incarnate Word point-producer with his career high 28. In the two road games, he was 8-17 on three’s. A year ago as a freshman, he led the Heartland Conference in three-pointers and established a new UIW season record for shots made from beyond the arc.

Now, the Cardinals begin their home string with a Thursday (December 20) game against the Lone Star Conference’s Texas A&M / Kingsville. Tipoff is 7 p.m. These two played back on November 26 in Kingsville and the Javelinas won 65-55.

To date, Incarnate Word is 4-4 on the year including 4-0 at home and 0-4 on the road.

After the TAMU / Kingsville game, the Cardinals will break for Christmas before coming back to campus to prepare for what has been dubbed Bud Light Week.

In the span of seven days, December 30 to January 5, UIW will play four home games under the corporate sponsorship of Bud Light. Coming to the McDermott Center will be, in order, Sul Ross, Angelo State, Dallas Baptist, and finally Henderson State of Arkansas.

CALDWELL'S CAREER HIGH TOPS UIW WIN -- posted Wednesday, December 12 2007

INCARNATE WORD 81, MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR 69

Incarnate Word had 12 days of preparation since its last game and it was apparent Wednesday night that shooting was a major point of emphasis as the Cardinals defeated Mary Hardin-Baylor 81-69 in non-conference action at the McDermott Center.

UIW (4-2) shot 53.7 per cent (29-54) from the field in the victory and the Cardinals were even better from beyond the arc with 57.1 per cent (12-21). While the Cardinals led by 10 at the halftime break, 37-27, they really turned on the heat in the second 20 minutes by firing away at a 63.6 per cent clip. That included six of eight from long range.

Sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell led the way with his career high 24 points. He was 8-14 from the field and the defending Heartland Conference three-point champion was a sizzling 7-9 from home run territory. Caldwell now has double points in five consecutive games and has led the Cardinals in scoring four times.

His principle help in the scoring department was junior guard Eric Nuncio who finished with 22 points and a game-high nine assists. Two other Cardinals were in double points--freshman forward Tracy Robinson with 13, and freshman guard Mark Politte with 12.

Mary Hardin-Baylor (3-1), the nation's number five-ranked team in Division III, made it tough on the Cardinals in the early going as the Crusaders gave up the game's first basket on a Robinson jumper. MHB tied it at 2-2 with 19:07 showing on the clock and then took a lead which it held until the 8:00 mark. The Crusader margin got as high as six at 17-11.

Caldwell got a three-pointer on an assist from Nuncio at 8:00 and the Cardinals led 22-20. There was another tie at 22-22 before UIW went off on a 7-0 tear followed by another streak of 8-2 giving it the 10-point halftime spread.

Only one time in the second half did the Cardinals lead by fewer than 10 points. In fact, UIW held a 20-point or more lead from 13:56, 56-36, until 4:39 was left. At that point, the Crusaders were making a final push to cut the margin to the final 11. The apex for UIW was 28 at 66-38 with 11:10 left on the clock.

Mary Hardin-Baylor won the battle on the boards by a 39-29 margin and the free throw line by 16-30 to 11-18. But the Cardinals shooting was just too much. Nine of the 10 Cardinals who saw action were 50 or more from the field.

The Cardinals now jump into Heartland competition by traveling to Dallas Baptist for a league game on Saturday. Tipoff is 2 p.m. The next home game for UIW is December 20. Texas A&M / Kingsville comes to the McDermott Center for a 7 p.m. start in non-conference play.

RECORDS:

MHB 3-1
UIW 4-2

UIW NOSES SCHREINER TO CONTINUE STRING -- posted Friday, November 30 2007

INCARNATE WORD 79, SCHREINER 71

It wasn’t easy Friday night at the McDermott Center but Incarnate Word managed to play good enough to nose Schreiner by 79-71 in the Cardinals final game prior to a 12-day break for finals and commencement.

These two former members of the old Heart of Texas Conference had not played each other since the first week of December in 2005. The win for UIW gave the Cardinals 23 consecutive victories over Schreiner and a 31-6 all-time series margin. The last time the Mountaineers won over Incarnate Word was in January of 1993.

Junior guard Eric Nuncio was the shining light for UIW by posting his career high 28 points which also were a high for any Incarnate Word player this season. To go with the 28 he had seven rebounds, three assists and three steals. Included in those 28 points were 12 of 13 at the free throw line.

The Mountaineers put on the pressure from the opening tip. As the lead swayed back and forth, UIW never could get the upper hand by more than a pair of points while SU led by as much as five.

With 4:04 to go until halftime and with Schreiner leading by three at 35-32, Nuncio rose to the front of the pack. The Cardinals went off 11-0 to grab a 43-35 margin with 2:07 remaining. Of those 11 UIW points, Nuncio accounted for nine on a three-pointer, a layup, two free throws concluding with another layup. Schreiner got another basket but the Cardinals led 43-37 at the break.

Senior forward Cameron Teague got the second half’s first two points giving Incarnate Word its biggest lead so far at eight, 45-37 with just eight seconds gone off the clock. The Cardinals never trailed in the second period although Schreiner did force a tie at 60-60 with 9:10 left when Ronnie Barney made three free throws after being fouled on a three-point attempt.

Sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell made a jumper giving Incarnate Word a 62-60 advantage and UIW never was behind or tied for the remainder of the game. Between 2:05 and 0:09 the Cardinals were 5-0 to put the game away with a 10-point lead at 79-69. Schreiner got a late basket to get the margin under double figures.

In addition to Nuncio and Caldwell (19) in double points for Incarnate Word, freshman forward Tracy Robinson and Teague both checked in with 11 points. Robinson and Teague were the leading rebounds with eight each.

As a team, the Cardinals shot the ball at a 45.8 clip while the Mountaineers were at 40.7 when the night was over. Schreiner outrebounded the Cardinals by 38-37.

The Cardinals next are in action on December 12 at home against Mary Hardin-Baylor. Tipoff in the McDermott Center is 7 p.m.

RECORDS

SU 0-4
UIW 3-2

FIVE PLAYERS IN DOUBLE POINTS IN UIW WIN -- posted Wednesday, November 28 2007

INCARNATE WORD MEN 102, TEXAS LUTHERAN 70

Incarnate Word Wednesday night put five players in double points and had a total of eight players get their season highs as the Cardinals ran away from Texas Lutheran by a 102-70 count in non-conference basketball action at the McDermott Center.

Sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell came off the UIW (2-2) bench for 18 and his season best including 4-6 on three-pointers. Next up were senior forward Cameron Teague and freshman guard Mark Politte with 16 each and both those totals were season bests. Then, junior guard Eric Nuncio had 11 and that tied his season mark. The fifth Cardinal in doubles was freshman forward Tracy Robinson with 10, but that was not his best of the year.

Texas Lutheran (0-4) got the game’s opening jumper from David Freeman. That was the only Bulldog lead of the night, 2-0. UIW came right back down the floor and Teague scored on a layup and that was the only tie of the evening, 2-2.

From there the Cardinals went off 12-2 and never looked in the rear mirror. In the first half the lead grew as much as 19 twice in the waning minutes of the first stanza. At halftime it was 52-34, UIW.

Neither team scored in the first two minutes of the second half and then at the 14:58 mark the lead reached 20 when Caldwell put home one of his long range jumpers. The Incarnate Word acme was at 10:37 when Nuncio raced in for a layup and the margin was 36, 83-47.

In other statistics, senior forward Isaiah Bryant of UIW was the game’s leading rebounder with 12. Nuncio completed his and the team’s first double-double of the year with 10 assists to go with his 11 points. He also had a game high eight steals. The Cardinals shot the ball at a 55.2 clip from the field.

This was the 10th straight Cardinals win in the series against Texas Lutheran. At one time in the past the two teams were co-members of the now-defunct Heart of Texas Conference. This game was the first time they had faced each other since December of 2001.

Incarnate Word returns to action on Friday when Schreiner comes to the McDermott Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff. This is the final Cardinals game until December 12 because of final examinations and winter commencement.

RECORDS:

TLU 0-4
UIW 2-2

CARDINALS MISFIRE IN KINGSVILLE -- posted Monday, November 26 2007

TEXAS A&M / KINGSVILLE 65, INCARNATE WORD 55

Shooting woes in the second half doomed Incarnate Word as the Cardinals dropped a 65-55 non-conference decision Monday night at Texas A&M / Kingsville.

The first 20 minutes saw the Cardinals (1-2) shoot at a 41.7 clip and get to the halftime locker room ahead by five at 30-25. In the final half, UIW misfired to the tune of 24.2 per cent resulting in a 15-point deficit for the final margin. That combined with 20 turnovers on the night was not a good formula.

Texas A&M / Kingsville (2-0) got the game's first basket. Incarnate then ran off 11-2 and led by seven before the Javelinas could scratch again. That surge was fueled by six points from junior guard Eric Nuncio and a three-pointer from freshman guard Mark Politte.

TAMUK managed to tie the game at 18-all with 6:52 to go in the half. Sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell contributed five points as UIW closed the half with a 12-7 run.

The Javelinas worked the scoreboard to a 40-40 tie with 10:44 showing on the clock. From there Kingsville went off 10-0 and never trailed from there to the end. That was at the 6:56 mark.

Incarnate Word got to within six at 57-51 but was forced to foul to stretch the remaining time. In the final 1:42, TAMUK was six of six at the free throw line sandwiched around a layup for the final margin.

In the scoring column, Politte scored a team-high 13 points and was the only Cardinal to shoot better than .500 from the field with 5-8 including 3-5 on three-pointers. Caldwell also came up with 13 points on 6-17 shooting.

Both senior forward Cameron Teague and Nuncio contributed 11 points. Teague had eight rebounds also. Senior forward Isaiah Bryant led all players with 11 caroms as the Cardinals dominated the backboards by 47-32.

Incarnate Word quickly returns to action with a home game Wednesday when Texas Lutheran comes to the McDermott Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

HALFTIME BREAK SENDS UIW TO FIRST WIN -- posted Tuesday, November 20 2007

INCARNATE WORD MEN 79, HUSTON-TILLOTSON 72

The halftime talk in the locker room worked Tuesday day night at Incarnate Word as the Cardinals erased a deficit at the break and took a lead that was in double figures for most of the second half on the way to a 79-72 win over Huston-Tillotson.

In the first half, in their home opener, the Cardinals (1-1) were behind just once in the first half and that was at 3-2 with 18:12 to go. UIW, with 15:47 to go in the first, began a 10-0 spurt and that put them on top for the remainder save the final two seconds when HTU (0-3) got a layup for a 33-32 halftime lead.

The came the discussion about exactly what should be done. Coach Ken Burmeister did the talking, the players did the listening and took heed.

The Cardinals scored first and often at with 16:30 to go in the game UIW was up 44-35 thanks to a 12-2 run. The leaders in that period were freshman guard Mark Politte who had two baskets and senior forward Isaiah Bryant who worked himself inside for a three-point play.

At the 13:11 mark, freshman forward Tracy Robinson made a layup and Incarnate Word had its first double-figure lead of the night at 50-39. That double margin would hold up, and in fact would rise to an apex of 21 following a layup by sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell. That score was 71-50.

The Rams would not go away and through hustle outscored UIW 13-4 to get the score to a reasonable outcome despite the fact that the margin was double points until the final few seconds.

Incarnate Word got good scoring balance with five players in double points led by 14 from Robinson, fPolitte, and Caldwell. Right behind was Teague at 13 and junior guard Eric Nuncio who tallied 10.

Huston-Tillotson had three players in double figures and all three had 11—Christopher Wilson, Titus Butler, Justin Ballou.

The Cardinals had a significant margin in two key areas: 50-36 in rebounding and 19-29 to 5-10 at the free throw line.

Key to Incarnate Word on the backboards was senior forward Isaiah Bryant who hauled in 12. Robinson and junior guard Chris Patterson both had nine caroms.

The Cardinals return to action on Monday, November 26, when they travel south to play Texas A&M / Kingsville. Tipoff is at 7 p.m.

RECORDS:

HTU 0-3
UIW 1-1

HOME OPENER SET FOR BASKETBALL MEN -- posted Monday, November 19 2007

The transition has been made at Incarnate Word from fall events to winter activities and that means basketball for the Cardinals. And the first home game of the 2007-2008 hoops season is this week for the men.

Tuesday, the Cardinals host Huston-Tillotson in a non conference game. Tipoff in the McDermott Center on campus is 7 p.m.

UIW opened the season last weekend with a quick trip to play at Angelo State. The home team won that game by 84 70 but the Cardinals coaching staff reported good things happened for Incarnate Word including putting four players in double figure points. The Cardinals’ roster includes 11 players who were not Cardinals a year ago making cohesion and teamwork early season priorities.

The lone starter back from last year’s team which reached the Heartland Conference tournament finals is guard Pierce Caldwell who was the conference freshman of the year in 2006-2007. In two exhibition games this fall against Lamar and Rice, Caldwell broke the 20-point barrier both times.

San Antonio fans of basketball in general will see familiar faces at Incarnate Word this season as eight of the 13 roster players prepped at area high schools.

This is the only game of the week for the Cardinals. The next outing is Monday (November 26) at Texas A&M / Kingsville.

CARDINALS DROP OPENER ON THE ROAD -- posted Saturday, November 17 2007

ANGELO STATE 84, INCARNATE WORD 70

Incarnate Word made a run at the midway point of the second half Saturday but could not gain the lead as the Cardinals dropped their season opener 84-70 at Angelo State in non-conference action.

ASU led 41-38 at the half but came out on fire and went off 13-4 to put the lead at 54-42 with 15:46 to go in the game. The Rams had upped the margin to 15, 67-52, with 10:58 remaining.

Then came the Cardinals sprint outscoring the Rams 8-0 cutting the deficit to 67-60 but that was it. UIW could get no closer and over the final 8:21 Angelo State outscored Incarnate Word 17-10 for the win.

UIW put four players in double points led by senior forward Cameron Teague who put in 13. His help came from junior forward Garrett Bell who came off the bench for 12. Also, freshman guard Mark Politte scored 11 and did senior forward Isaiah Bryant.

The Cardinals return to action on Tuesday (November 20) when they host Huston-Tillotson in the McDermott Center on campus. Tipoff for the home opener is 7 p.m.

CARDINALS OPEN AWAY BUT COME HOME QUICKLY -- posted Monday, November 12 2007

The Incarnate Word men’s basketball team opens on the road but it will not be long before the Cardinals get their home opener in the McDermott Center.

On Saturday (November 17) UIW travels west to Angelo State for a 7 p.m. game. Then quickly the Cardinals return to campus for a Tuesday (November 20) game against Huston-Tillotson.

The Cardinals are coming back from a season when they went 18-11, a nine-game improvement from the previous season. Included in that mark was a trip to the Heartland Conference post-season tournament finals.

Incarnate Word will look to sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell to lead the way after he was voted the Heartland’s freshman of the year in 2006-2007. In two exhibition games this year Caldwell was the team’s leading scorer both times by topping the 20-point mark.

UIW DROPS EXHIBITION AT RICE -- posted Thursday, November 8 2007

RICE 76, INCARNATE WORD 63

Incarnate Word’s Cardinals stepped into Division I for the second time in this pre-season with an exhibition game in Houston won 76-63 by the Rice Owls.

And for the second straight game sophomore guard Pierce Caldwell led both teams in scoring by topping the magical 20-point mark. Making seven of his 14 field goal attempts including 6-12 from beyond the arc, Caldwell tallied 20 to lead four Cardinals in double figures.

UIW got 12 points from freshman forward Tracy Robinson and 11 by freshman guard Mark Politte. The fourth Cardinal in doubles was junior Eric Nuncio who tallied 10 who had a team and game high five assists.

Incarnate Word had a significant margin on the boards, 45-37, as senior forward Cameron Teague led the way, and the game, with 11.

The Cardinals, from the field, outshot the Owls 41.8 per cent to 40.0 and had a narrow margin of 9-26 to 8-22 on three’s. The game’s difference was at the free throw line where Rice had a whopping margin of 20-28 to 8-19 for the Cardinals.

Last weekend Incarnate Word opened the exhibition season with a 92-75 loss at Division I Lamar. In that game Caldwell posted a double-double of 22 points and 12 rebounds, both game highs.

UIW will open its regular season on Saturday, November 17, with a road contest at Angelo State. The first home game is set for November 20 when Huston-Tillotson comes to the McDermott Center for a 7 p.m. tipoff.

UIW: Bell, 1-0-2; Teague, 2-1-5; Patterson, 0-0-0; Politte, 5-0-11; Caldwell, 7-0-20; Masomi, 0-0-0; Nuncio, 2-5-10; Robinson, 5-1-12; Bryant, 1-0-2; Weddborn, 0-0-0. Field Goals, 23-55, 41.8 pct.; Three Points, 9-26, 34.6 pct.; Free Throws, 8-19, 42.1 pct.; Rebounds, 45, Teague 11; PF, 24; Assists, 16, Nuncio 5; TO, 27, Robinson 6; Blocks, 3, Robinson 2; Steals, 9, Teague 5.

RICE: Packevicius, 0-1-1; Britton, 3-8-14; Hagan, 6-2-16; Foster, 1-0-3; Pflieger, 6-0-16; Williams, 1-0-2; Braimoh, 4-0-8; Beasley, 2-8-13; Ghoram, 1-0-2; Saunders, 0-0-0; Perka, 0-1-1. Field Goals, 24-60, 40.0 pct.; Three Points, 8-22, 36.4 pct.; Free Throws, 20-28, 71.4 pct.; Rebounds, 37, Packevicius 7; PF, 18; Assists, 18, Foster 5; TO, 19, 5 with 3; Blocks, 6, Braimoh 2; Steals, 11, 3 with 2.

UIW: 31 32 = 63
Rice 39 37 = 76