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Email: witt@uiwtx.edu or phone: 210.829.3828.

Women's Basketball News

FIVE SIGN UP FOR UIW WOMEN’S BASKETBALL -- posted Wednesday, May 7 2008

Five players have said they will play basketball next year for Incarnate Word’s women’s team and if they had to line up today and play this group would have a player at all five positions on the floor.

UIW Coach Angela Lawson said the five, one freshman and four transfers, will be on campus in August for the start of fall classes and to prepare for the 2008-2009 season.

Madison Killingsworth signed her agreement last fall in the early signing period. She is coming out of Lindale High School and she is a 6-0 post player who was first team All-East Texas this past year.

Nikki Brown is a 5-11 forward who is coming to UIW from Collin County Community College where she was the Region 5 defensive player of the year. She is a product of Hebron High School.

The third front line player is 5-9 LaShae Woodward who also can play guard. She is transferring from Texas / Pan American and she is from Houston’s Eisenhower High School.

On the perimeter, the Cardinals have signed Edricka Thomas, a 5-6 point guard coming from Blinn Junior College. Last year that team reached the regional finals and the year before that she was Region XIV all-tournament. Her high school was Eagle Lake.

The other guard on the signing list is Jasmine Smith, also coming from Blinn JC. At Westside High School in Houston she was a teammate of current UIW guard Cinnamon Kava.

These five players are joining a Cardinals team which finished 17-11 in 2007-2008 and qualified for the Heartland Conference championship tournament.

TORRU, ROBINSON EARN HEARTLAND HONORS -- posted Friday, March 14 2008

Two members of Incarnate Word’s women’s basketball team came up big winners as the Heartland Conference has announced its select team following the just completed 2007-2008 season.

Senior guard Kim Robinson was a double winner while sophomore guard Nia Torru for the second time was named to the league’s first team.

In addition to being first team all-conference in the Heartland, Robinson was voted the defensive player of the year. A product of Katy High School, Robinson was among the leaders in 10 of the conference’s 12 statistical categories. Leading up to her defensive honor she was second in overall rebounding and second in defensive rebounding. She also was seventh in steals.

Four times during the season Robinson was selected Heartland player of the week.

Being named to the Heartland’s first team, Torru was among league leaders in 10 of the 12 statistical categories. In addition to being Incarnate Word’s top scorer at 14.5 a game, she was fifth in the conference. She also was seventh in rebounding, sixth in assists and eighth in steals.

Twice during the past year she was named Heartland player of the week. A year ago, Torru, a graduate of Houston’s Bellaire High School, was all-Heartland and was the freshman of the year.

A third league honor came Incarnate Word’s way when sophomore center Hayley Harvey was voted honorable mention all-conference. She averaged 9.9 points and 5.6 rebounds a game and was named to the Heartland’s all-tournament team following the championship event.

ALL-HEARTLAND CONFERENCE

FIRST TEAM
Natalie Gamez, St. Mary’s, JR
Nia Torru, Incarnate Word, SO
Kim Robinson, Incarnate Word, SR
Jasmine Williams, Oklahoma Panhandle, JR
Sara Head, St. Edward’s, SO

SECOND TEAM
Rachel Jones, St. Mary’s, JR
Jasmine June, Texas A&M International, JR
Crystal Johnson, Texas / Permian Basin, SR
Haley Tidwell, St. Edward’s, SO
Gretchen Berns, Newman, SO

HONORABLE MENTION
Hayley Harvey, Incarnate Word
Ashton Benford, St. Mary’s
Sarah Polson, Oklahoma Panhandle
Mallory Moeller, St. Mary’s
Nicole Gipson, Texas A&M International
Kaycee McGill, Newman
Tammy Bartosh, St. Edward’s

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Natalie Gamez, St. Mary’s

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
Jasmine Williams, Oklahoma Panhandle

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Kim Robinson, Incarnate Word

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Mallory Moeller, St. Mary’s

COACH OF THE YEAR
Jason martens, St. Mary’s

UIW FALLS IN CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT -- posted Friday, March 7 2008

ST. EDWARD'S 63, INCARNATE WORD 56

Slow out of the box Friday afternoon put Incarnate Word in a situation of fighting uphill all game as the Cardinals lost their semi-final game to St. Edward's, 63-56, in the Heartland Conference championship tournament being played in snowy Denton.

After being forced to traverse an unseasonable, but heavy, snowstorm and taking most of the day on Thursday to arrive in North Texas, Incarnate Word had a first half that looked frozen to the Cardinals faithful.

In the first 20 minutes it was a mighty struggle for Incarnate Word from the floor. Despite going 5-28 from the field for 17.9 per cent the Cardinals were down just eight points, 27-19, at the break. The only UIW shooters with more than a single field goal were sophomore center Hayley Harvey and sophomore guard Nia Torru who both were 2-7.

The main Cardinal effort in the initial 20 minutes came at the free throw line where UIW was 8-10.

Five minutes elapsed in the first half before UIW scored its first basket. The main culprit was the St. Edward's zone defense which baffled the Cardinals for most of the first half. "We didn't handle their zone defense very well in the first half," UIW Coach Angela Lawson said. "Our shot selection wasn't good and we weren't patient."

Despite all the elements, the Cardinals were just down 4-0 when they cracked the scoreboard with their first basket. From there, it was all the way down to 6:22 before St. Edward's got its margin into double figures at 22-11.

Other than the halftime margin of eight points, the Hilltoppers kept their lead in double points for most of the second half, rising to as much as 17 at the halfway mark of the second 20 minutes. With 3:09 remaining and SEU up 56-44, it got interesting.

Spurred by Harvey who scored four, the Cardinals ran off 10-1 and the Hilltopper lead was three when the clock showed 0:48. In that stretch senior guard Kim Robinson began it with a three-pointer and added two free throws along the way. But from there a couple of ill-advised three-point attempts and the necessity to foul and stop the clock produced only one Cardinals' basket before the final buzzer.

With the second half added to the first, the Cardinals managed to get their shooting percentage up to 32.7 for the game thanks to going at a 48.1 pace in the second half.

Harvey was the game's leading point-producer with her career high 24. Two other Cardinals were in double points. Robinson and Torru both tallied 14 in the losing cause.

"This one loss doesn't define our season," Coach Lawson stated firmly. "No one knows what all this team overcame this season. We accomplished a long list of things and they were all positives. We won 17 games and we had our best conference record ever. It was a positive experience."

The Cardinals ended their year at 17-11 including 11-3 in Heartland play.

WOMEN CARDINALS ON TV AT TOURNAMENT -- posted Tuesday, March 4 2008

The 2007-08 Heartland Conference women’s basketball tournament is set for March 7 and 8, at the University of North Texas.

The top four teams from the regular season have qualified for the championship including Incarnate Word which goes in as the second seed.


St. Mary’s University (#1 Seed – 14-0), Incarnate Word (#2 Seed – 11-3), St. Edward’s University (#3 Seed – 9-5), Oklahoma Panhandle State University (#4 Seed – 8-6) are the four which will battle for the title.

The bracket for the tournament is:

Friday, March 7 – Semifinal Games

Game 1 – 12:00 – St. Mary’s vs. Oklahoma Panhandle
Game 2 – 2:30 – UIW vs. St. Edward’s

Saturday, March 8 – Championship Game, 3 p.m.

All the action will take place in the "Super Pit" at University of North Texas and 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.

ROBINSON GARNERS LEAGUE HONOR -- posted Monday, March 3 2008

Her performances in two games last week took away any suspense in the Heartland Conference as Incarnate Word’s Kim Robinson is the league’s player of the week.

In the win over Texas / Permian Basin, the Katy, Texas, product posted the first recorded triple-double in UIW women’s basketball history. She had 10 assists, 10 rebounds and 20 points.

And to follow that, two nights later, she finished the Oklahoma Panhandle game with a double-double of 17 points and 16 rebounds, both game highs in the UIW victory.

For the period February 25 to March 2, the senior guard averaged 18.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.5 steals. She shot 11-26 from the field for .423 including 6-15 on three’s for .400. At the free throw line she was 9-10 for .900.

And, she even blocked three shots.

This is the fourth time this season she has received the Heartland’s weekly honor.

CARDINALS SET FOR HEARTLAND TOURNAMENT -- posted Saturday, March 1 2008

INCARNATE WORD 65, OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE 61

Fast out of the gate in both halves Saturday night propelled Incarnate Word to a 65-61 win over Oklahoma Panhandle in Heartland Conference action and positioned the Cardinals for next weekend’s conference championship tournament.

Incarnate Word was firmly in the second seed position for the tournament but there was uncertainty about who the Cardinals would play on Friday, March 7, in Denton. Coming into the game at UIW’s McDermott Center, Oklahoma Panhandle was tied for third with St. Edward’s. The combination of the Aggies loss and a St. Edward’s win at Newman pits Incarnate Word against SEU. Oklahoma Panhandle slides to fourth and will meet top seeded St. Mary’s in the first round.

Oklahoma Panhandle’s (15-12; 8-6) undoing began when Incarnate Word (17-10; 11-3) roared out of the locker room and began the game with an 11-0 outburst. Sophomore guard Brittany Hardy got it started with a three-pointer followed by a jumper. Sophomore center Hayley Harvey contributed five points in the run and the other two came from sophomore guard Nia Torru.

Panhandle refused to completely fold under the opening salvo and came back to trail by a single point at halftime. It was 27-26 at the break.

Then, Incarnate Word did it again. And again, it was Hardy at the outset. She sank a jumper to start it and later got another basket as the Cardinals lit’em up with 13-0 surge. At the 14:55 mark of the second half it was 40-26 and the lead would remain in double points until there were but four minutes left in the game.

With 4:06 on the clock OPSU cut the margin to eight at 53-45. From there the teams traded free throws as they continuously stopped the clock. Senior guard Kim Robinson sank a pair from the line to keep the margin at eight, 65-57, before the Aggies made four straight freebies for the final score.

For the Cardinals, on senior night, it was appropriate that Robinson lead the way with her 17 points. Right behind were Torru and Hardy, both with 13, while Harvey rounded out the double points players with her 12.

And more fittingly, Robinson posted a double-double with 16 rebounds. This performance came on the heels of her triple-double last Thursday against Texas / Permian Basin, the first in school history.

The Cardinals dominated the backboards by a 42-32 margin. And they got 20 second chance points largely because of an astounding 17 offensive rebounds.

ROBINSON'S TRIPLE-DOUBLE TOPS UIW WIN -- posted Thursday, February 28 2008

INCARNATE WORD 103, TEXAS / PERMIAN BASIN 73

Incarnate Word Thursday night got 20-plus points from three players and double-figures from an additional two but it was senior guard Kim Robinson who dominated in the Cardinals’ 103-71 victory over Texas / Permian Basin in Heartland Conference action at the McDermott Center.

Robinson led her team with 26 points and she also recorded game highs of 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the first triple-double in UIW women’s history. The Katy High School and McLennan JC product has made a habit of posting double-doubles on UIW opponents but this was her first triple thanks to a career high 10 assists.

With the win, the Cardinals locked up the second seed for the Heartland’s championship tournament set for March 7-8 in Denton. UIW is now 16-10 on the year and 10-3 in the league with a single game remaining in the regular season. A year ago Incarnate Word went to Denton as the third seed and reached the championship game before falling.

In surpassing the 100-point mark for the first time this year, the Cardinals got 23 points from sophomore center Hayley Harvey and 20 more from sophomore guard Nia Torru. Not too far behind were sophomore guard Brittany Hardy with 16 and sophomore guard Cinnamon Kava who posted 10.

The Cardinals had not topped the century mark since January 4 of 2007, when they won 101-45 over this same team, Texas / Permian Basin.

Riding 26 first half points from Crystal Johnson, the Falcons (2-25; 2-9) were making a game of it trailing 57-45 at the break. Preston ultimately finished with 41 including being 10-18 on three’s.

The dam broke early in the second half. At the 19:05 mark of the last 20 minutes, Johnson hit a trey to make it 62-48 Cardinals. From then until the clock read 12:18, UIW outscored the Falcons 21-zip and the lead was 35 and growing. A Harvey layup made it 83-48.

On the night Incarnate Word shooting was the huge difference. From the floor UIW was 42-72 for 58.3 per cent to 37.9 for the Falcons.. The Cardinals also had a significant margin on the backboards, 47-27.

The regular season finale is Saturday at 6 p.m. when Oklahoma Panhandle comes calling at the McDermott Center. That will be senior night for the Cardinals as the team honors two players—Robinson and Ieasha Sledge—who will be playing in their last home.

UIW SEWS UP TOURNAMENT SEED WITH WIN -- posted Monday, February 25 2008

INCARNATE WORD 67, ST. EDWARD'S 59

Snapping a two-game skid Incarnate Word Monday night took of what needed to be done with a 67-59 Heartland Conference road victory over St. Edward's in Austin.

With the victory the Cardinals locked up the second seed for the upcoming Heartland championship tournament set for March 7 and 8 in Denton. UIW is now 9-3 in the conference with a pair of home games remaining in the regular season. The Cardinals are 15-10 on the year matching their 15 successes a year ago when they reached the finals of the tournament.

What made this win at St. Edward's so important was the fact that the Hilltoppers were close on the heels of Incarnate Word when the night began. Now, SEU is two back at 7-5 with two to go. Even if St. Edward's wins out and the Cardinals lose out UIW still gets the second seed based on a pair of wins over the Hilltoppers.

St. Ed's now has fallen into a tie for third and fourth with the 7-5 Aggies of Oklahoma Panhandle. Four teams make the tournament. St. Mary's has locked up the top seed with a perfect 11-0 mark to date in league competition.

In the Austin game, in the first half, UIW got a layup from sophomore guard Brittany Hardy to go ahead 21-20 at the 9:43 mark. The Cardinals would hold the lead until halftime when they had a lead of 36-33 going into the locker room. The high water mark in that stretch was eight after another layup from sophomore guard Nia Torru making it 30-22 with 5:36 remaining.

The final half didn't start out so very good for Incarnate Word. The Hilltoppers tallied the first six points to claim the lead by 39-36 with just two and one-half minutes elapsed. The Cardinals managed to regain some composure and by the 13:37 mark reclaimed the lead on a pair of free throws by senior guard Kim Robinson.

St. Edward's led briefly one more time, erasing a five-point UIW lead to go ahead 48-46 with 10:19 left on the game clock. Torru followed immediately with a made three-pointer to ignite an 8-0 run for Incarnate Word and the Cardinals would not trail thereafter.

Torru was the game's top point-producer with 21 to go with four rebounds and three steals. Her help came from 13 points each by Hardy and Robinson.

As a team, the Cardinals shot the ball at a 43.5 clip and they won the rebound battle by 34-26. Another significant statistic was that UIW got 11 fast break points to a flat zero for the Hilltoppers.

Next up is a Thursday night battle at home against Texas / Permian Basin. Tipoff in the McDermott Center will come at 6 p.m.

UIW DROPS CROSS-TOWN LEAGUE GAME -- posted Saturday, February 23 2008

ST. MARY'S 79, INCARNATE WORD 65

Incarnate Word Saturday night ran into a red-hot team with something on the line as the Cardinals dropped a Heartland Conference encounter at St. Mary's by a 79-65 count.

With the win the Rattlers (20-4) captured their 19th consecutive victory and in doing so sewed up the top seed (10-0) for the post-season Heartland championship tournament set for March 7-8.

Incarnate Word went to 14-10 on the year and to 8-3 in the conference. That league mark holds steady in second position with three contests to play before the tournament.

St. Mary's came out of the halftime locker room on an 11-4 run to get its lead up to 20 at 49-29 with 15:07 remaining in the game. Immediately thereafter, the Cardinals put up 10 straight to pare the lead down to 10 at 49-39.

Incarnate Word on four occasions sliced the margin to 10. And then at the 8:39 mark on the clock UIW got a jumper and a free throw from senior guard Ieasha Sledge and the difference was a mere seven. It was 58-51 with 8:39 to go and Incarnate Word seemed to have some life remaining.

Old momentum swung again and St. Mary's went 17-3 over the next five minutes pushing the lead to 21 at 3:29. UIW could do no better thereafter except for the final 14-point margin.

In the first half the only advantage going Incarnate Word's way was at the free throw line. Led by junior guard Kim Robinson's 9-10 were 12-14, 48 per cent of UIW's total points. St. Mary's led 38-25 at the break.

The first 20 minutes of play found the Cardinals shooting but 30 per cent from the field including just 1-6 on three's. On the other side of the gym, the Ratters were firing away at a 55.6 per cent clip with 15 makes on 27 attempts. Basically because of a huge 19-8 total rebound advantage, St. Mary's put in 18 points in the painted area to just four for UIW in that close in area.

By game's end, those figures had closed up a bit with St. Mary's finally shooting 54 per cent from the floor to UIW's 40.4. The rebounding went the Rattlers way on a 33-24 final count.

Robinson was the game's leading scorer with 20. After going 9-10 at the line in the first 20 minutes, she got but one attempt in the final 20 minutes. Two other Cardinals were in double points. Sophomore center Hayley posted 16 while sophomore guard Brittany Hardy had 10.

UIW leading scorer sophomore guard Nia Torru had six points to go with her game-high rebounds and a team high four assists.

Having lost their last two games, the Cardinals make a quick trip to Austin on Monday to play at St. Edward's. Currently the Hillltoppers are third in the league heading to the tournament. Gametime Monday is 6 p.m.

TORRU GETS WEEKLY HEARTLAND HONOR -- posted Tuesday, February 19 2008

Following a two-game week in which she averaged 25.0 points sophomore guard Nia Torru has been named Heartland Conference player of the week.

While she was leading the Cardinals in scoring both games, Torru was shooting a torrid .548 from the field on 17 of 31. Those numbers included 6-13 on three-pointers for .462.

Continuing with her shooting skills, Torru was 10 of 11 at the free throw line for .909.

She also averaged 4.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

In the two games--one was overtime-- the Cardinals had 85 minutes of action and Torru was on the floor for 81 of those. And in those 81 minutes she committed but five turnovers.

UIW DROPS OVERTIME DECISION IN MISSOURI -- posted Sunday, February 17 2008

LINCOLN 85, INCARNATE WORD 79 OT

Incarnate Word had its five-game winning string interrupted Saturday with an 85-79 Heartland Conference road loss at Lincoln in Missouri.

The defeat dropped the Cardinals to 14-9 on the season including an 8-2 mark in the conference. Despite the setback UIW maintained its firm grip on second position in the league standings as the season winds down in anticipation of the upcoming Heartland championship tournament the first full weekend in March. Four teams get berths in the title event.

Lincoln improves to 4-6 in the Heartland and remains in a fifth place tie with Newman. The Blue Tigers are now 5-15 on the year.

Shooting from the field did in the Cardinals in the extra five minutes of play. Lincoln sizzled with five of six from the field in overtime while the Cardinals could manage but 3-11 for 27 per cent. UIW got the first point in overtime on a free throw by sophomore center Hayley Harvey to go up 70-69. Lincoln would score next and never trail thereafter. The Blue Tigers benefited by making six of seven free throws in the final 55 seconds.

In the first half of play, Incarnate Word never trailed. It led by as much as 13 at 28-15 with 7:09 on the clock when junior forward Keisha Greenwood made a pair at the line. The halftime score was 34-29.

The halftime chat worked over on the Lincoln side because the Blue Tigers opened the second 20 minutes with an 11-0 run to gain the lead at 40-34 with 16:09 remaining.

The lead moved back and forth after that until UIW was up 69-66. With just 55 second to go, Lincoln's Quinita Washington sank a three-pointer to send the game to overtime tied 69-all.

Harvey made one of two at the line putting UIW up 70-69 for the Cardinals only lead in the extra period.

Three Cardinals reached the 20-point plateau for the game. Sophomore guard Nia Torru led with 26 points to go with six rebounds. Senior guard Kim Robinson posted a double-double with 20 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Harvey got her career high 20 points.

The Cardinals have four games remaining in the regular season and all are key Heartland affairs. Next up is a trip across town to meet St. Mary's on Saturday, February 23 at 5:30 p.m.

CARDINALS NOTCH SIGNIFICANT WIN -- posted Friday, February 15 2008

INCARNATE WORD 62, NEWMAN 45

Incarnate Word did three things Thursday night with its 62-45 win at Newman in Kansas.

First, the Cardinals won their fifth consecutive game to up their season mark to 14-8. Then, that victory, the 14th of the year, secured at least a positive mark for the year in the regular season. UIW will play a total of 27 games and the 14th win insures the plus-.500 mark for the second consecutive year.

More importantly however is the fact that the Cardinals have now earned a berth in the Heartland Conference post-season championship tournament set for Denton, Texas, March 7-8. The win at Newman moved Incarnate Word to 8-1 in league play. Four teams make the tournament and right now Newman rests in fifth at 3-6. UIW is five games ahead of the Jets with five to play. Should Newman rally and tie Incarnate Word, the Cardinals would have the tie-breaker because of a 2-0 margin for the year.

A year ago, Incarnate Word worked itself to the tournament finals before falling to Montana State / Billings in the title game.

In the Thursday win, the Cardinals got a game high 24 from sophomore guard Nia Torru who also had a game high four steals. She was 8-16 from the field and a perfect 6-6 at the free throw line.

The only other Cardinal in double points was freshman center Megan Holden who put in 10. Senior guard Kim Robinson had but five points but did snag a game high 10 rebounds.

Down two at the half, 27-25, the Cardinals turned up the pressure on defense and outscored the Jets 37-18 in the second 20 minutes. Newman could manage but 30 per cent shooting in the second half while Incarnate Word fired away at a 46 per cent clip.

Next up for UIW is a Saturday game at Lincoln. This too is a Heartland contest.

CARDINALS PUSH TAMUI BACK A NOTCH -- posted Saturday, February 9 2008

INCARNATE WORD 69, TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL 61

Incarnate Word Saturday night put just a little more space between it and those chasing with a 69-61 victory over Texas A&M International in Heartland Conference action.

The 69-61 win in the McDermott Center kept the Cardinals right near the top in the chase for the number one seed in the Heartland’s post-season championship tournament. UIW is now 7-1 in league play and waiting the outcome of Saturday’s game between St. Mary’s (7-0) and St. Edward’s (5-2). TAMUI meanwhile slips back a half notch to 3-5 and fifth in the Heartland and 7-13 overall. The top four teams make the tournament.

The Cardinals roared out to a 26-16 halftime lead behind 10 points from junior forward Keisha Greenwood who was playing off the bench. The UIW defense which has been stifling of late had held the Dustdevils to just the 16 points on 25 per cent shooting from the field.

Things seemed in control for Incarnate Word until the second half began and TAMUI outscored the Cardinals 13-6 opening up to close the gap to just three at the 14:36 mark.

Then the game turned again thanks largely to sophomore guard Nia Torru who eventually tied Greenwood for team high with 14 points. In a four minute time frame, Torru amassed five points, two rebounds, a steal and an assist and the Cardinals were back to a 10-point lead, 46-36 with 9:14 remaining.

The Dustdevils hung in and again cut the margin down to just three at 54-51 with 4:21 to play. That comeback was largely due to efficient shooting at the free throw line. TAMUI in that charge went 11-13 on freebies causing the Cardinals faithful to shake their collective heads and wonder if the foe would ever miss.

And it came true. In the final two and one-half minutes the Dustdevils were but 1-4 at the line and Incarnate Word regained the momentum by getting the game back to manageable shape.

Sophomore center Hayley Harvey was the UIW top rebounder on the night with 10 but until late, late she did not have a single field goal. With the Cardinals nursing that narrow lead she picked her time to shine. Inside of one minute, she got her lone field goal for the evening to go with a pair of free throws and a rebound and UIW led by eight at 63-55 with 1:20 remaining.

After that, Torru made a pair at the line as did sophomore guard Cinnamon Kava and the Cardinals had their win.

After Torru’s 14 and Greenwood’s 14, Kava had 11 points as the only Cardinals in double figures. Jasmine June led TAMUI with a game-high 18.

Now, having won four games in a row and 10 of the last 11, the Cardinals take their show on the road for four consecutive games beginning Thursday, February 14, at Newman of Kansas.

TORRU GETS HEARTLAND HONOR -- posted Monday, February 4 2008

Incarnate Word's Nia Torru has been named Heartland Conference player of the week for the time period January 28 to February 3.

In that time, UIW won two games and Torru averaged 22.0 points while shooting 18-30 from the field for .600. That included 7-11 on three’s for .636.

She also averaged 10.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 4.0 steals. She led in scoring both games and in rebounds once.

In the win over Newman, she tied her career highs of 28 points and 14 rebounds. In that game she had a career high six steals.

CARDINALS ARE DEFENSIVE IN WIN -- posted Saturday, February 2 2008

INCARNAT E WORD WOMEN 62, NEWMAN (Kan) 41

Stifling defense in the first half ignited Incarnate Word Saturday night on the way to a decisive 62-41 Heartland Conference win over Newman of Kansas in a game played in UIW’s McDermott Center.

The victory was the Cardinals’ third in a row and got their season mark to 12-8 while Newman dropped to 4-16 on the year. Inside the Heartland, Incarnate Word is now 6-1 and solidly in second position as conference teams angle for the post-season championship tournament the second weekend in March.

The visiting Jets worked themselves to a 10-4 first half lead at the 14:50 mark. Then the UIW defense took hold of the contest and each individual Cardinal took it on themselves to shut down their opposing player.

In a period of 11:50, running the clock to the 3:09 mark, UIW outscored the Jets 21-5 for a 25-15 lead, a stretch ending on a three-pointer from sophomore guard Cinnamon Kava. In those 11 minutes and 41 seconds, the Cardinals forced six turnovers and held Newman to just two of 10 from the field. It seemed the shot clock was on the verge of expiring on every Newman possession before the Jets could get up an attempt.

That run led to a 30-17 halftime margin, and the Jets were shooting but 29 per cent from the field. Those 17 opponent points were the second lowest of the season allowed by Incarnate Word in a first half. Just one game ago, the Cardinals gave up but 13 to Lincoln on the way to a 63-45 victory.

The air-tight defense continued into the second half and that 13-point halftime deficit was as close as Newman would get the rest of the way.

Sophomore guard Nia Torru was the story for the Cardinals on the offensive end of the floor. She posted her second double-double of the season by matching her career highs in both points (28) and rebounds (14). She shot 12-17 from the floor including 4-6 on three-pointers. She even took time off to record a pair of assists and another career mark of six steals.

At one point in the second half, Torru went five for five from the field good for 13 points including 3-3 on three’s. During that time, she also had an assist, two steals and three rebounds. All that came between 12:13 and 6:03, six minutes and 10 seconds.

The only other Cardinal in double figure points was senior guard Kim Robinson who finished with 11.

As a team, UIW shot the ball at a 43.3 clip for the contest while Newman was but 34.1 per cent. The Cardinals won the rebound battle by 36-30.

Incarnate Word now gets a week’s break before returning to action. Next up is a home game on Saturday, February 9 against Texas A&M International.

FIRST HALF RUSH PUSHES UIW TO WIN -- posted Thursday, January 31 2008

INCARNATE WORD 63, LINCOLN 45

A 21-1 run is a game plan that will work most every time and that is what Incarnate Word got Thursday night in a 63-45 Heartland Conference victory over Lincoln of Missouri.

And while she probably didn’t draw up that plan before the game, Cardinals Coach Angela Lawson certainly will take it as UIW moved to 11-8 on the year and to 5-1 in the Heartland. That league mark will keep Incarnate Word solidly in second position in the conference as the first half of play ends. UIW has won two in a row and eight of its last nine games.

Lincoln meanwhile falls to 2-13 overall and 2-4 in the Heartland.

The game played out in this manner. Lincoln came roaring out to a 10-5 lead in the first five and one-half minutes of action. The Blue Tigers were forcing Cardinals turnovers, four to be exact, and UIW was making it look like it might be a really long night.

Then it happened.

Sophomore guard Nia Torru hit a three. Then the layup drill began. First it was sophomore guard Brittany Hardy followed by senior guard Kim Robinson followed by freshman center Megan Holden and finally Torru.

Sophomore guard Cinnamon Kava interrupted that string with a three-pointer and Hardy made a jumper and the surge was over. It was 26-11 UIW with 3:01 remaining in the first half. At the break it was 28-13 for Incarnate Word and Lincoln could never get any closer for the remainder of the night.

Flirting with the 20-margin level in the last half, Hardy made one of two at the line and UIW had that lead at 56-36 with 3:47 left.

As dominant as the Cardinals were on the scoreboard, they too were masterful in the statistics. UIW won the boards 35-24 and outshot the Blue Tigers 51 per cent to 36.2. The number that jumped off the page was the field goal department where Incarnate Word had 26 made to 17 for Lincoln.

Four Cardinals were in double figure scoring led by 16 from Torru and 13 from Robinson. Both Hardy and Kava finished with 11. Robinson was the leading rebounder for UIW with nine.

Next up for Incarnate Word is a home game Saturday at 6 p.m. against Newman of Kansas.

UIW TAKES SOLE POSSESSION OF SECOND -- posted Thursday, January 24 2008

INCARNATE WORD 59, ST. EDWARD’S 55

Incarnate Word’s Cardinals possibly thought they were running up hill all night Thursday when they couldn’t seem to put any serious distance between themselves and the St. Edward’s Hilltoppers in Heartland Conference action.

The 59-55 UIW victory didn’t come easily in a game that had significant bearing in the Heartland Conference race. By winning, Incarnate Word is now 4-1 in league play and 10-8 for the year. St. Edward’s, while only 4-13 for the year is right behind at 2-2 in Heartland action. A St. Edward’s win and the two would have been tied, but it didn’t happen.

Incarnate Word now has won seven of its last eight games.

With the game tied at 41-41 with 11:10 remaining, the Cardinals saw the Hilltoppers go ahead 42-41 when Charron Sumler made one of two at the line. From there, Incarnate Word got one free throw from sophomore guard Nia Torru who followed with a layup and UIW was off to a 9-2 string. The Cardinals would never trail thereafter, nor would the game be tied again. But the UIW margin never grew beyond six in the final half of play.

Torru managed two more free throws in that stretch giving her five of the nine Cardinals points. The other four came from a jumper and two freebies from sophomore guard Brittany Hardy.

St. Edward’s got the game to two points twice over the last seven and one-half minutes but could not do any more.

The first half was one where Incarnate Word led for most of the time, 14:33 to be exact only to find itself down at the halftime break by a 30-29 count.

In the first 13-plus minutes, sophomore center Haley Harvey kept the Cardinals afloat by scoring seven points, gathering in a pair of rebounds and assisting on another basket at UIW was ahead 10-8.

The Cardinals continued to lead as senior guard Kim Robinson began to find the range with four points as the UIW margin grew to eight at 20-12 with 8:37 to go until halftime. That didn’t hold up however as St. Edward’s got off to an 11-2 run and took the lead 23-22 at 4:04.

Right at the half, Robinson got a three-pointer to make it 30-29 St. Edward’s and then she stole a pass and lofted a desperation shot at the buzzer and it almost went in. Robinson would finish the night as the game’s leading scorer with 18. She also had seven rebounds and three steals.

Her scoring help came from Harvey’s 12 and those two were the only Cardinals to crack double figures. Torru and Hardy came close with nine each while Torru was the top rebounder for UIW with eight and Hardy led with six assists.

Teamwise, the Cardinals shot the ball at a 40.7 clip to 33.3 for St. Edward’s. The rebounds were even at 35 but the Hilltoppers were way ahead at the free throw line by making 20 of 25 while UIW was but 12-17.

The Cardinals now have a week of preparation before Lincoln of Missouri comes to the McDermott Center for a Heartland contest on January 31.

CARDINALS DROP CLOSE ONE AT HOME -- posted Monday, January 21 2008

ST. MARY'S WOMEN 46, INCARNATE WORD 44

If there is a pattern when Incarnate Word and St. Mary's get together then Monday night's Heartland Conference game followed right along. The Rattlers won a close one at UIW by a 46-44 count.

A year ago, these two old rivals split a pair of games with the visiting team victorious each time. Since the final game a year ago was at Incarnate Word, St. Mary's now has a two-game win string over the Cardinals. And the all-time series count also is close, 24-22 for St. Mary's.

As might be expected, the game's numbers were ultra close. Incarnate Word won the rebounds 40-38, and UIW was up on the turnovers by 11-14. In shooting, neither team was special with 29.3 for Incarnate Word and 36.5 for the Rattlers.
The made free throws were the same at six each, and the field goals were won by St. Mary's 19-17.

And each team had two players in double figure scoring. Incarnate Word got 13 from sophomore guard Brittany Hardy and 10 from sophomore guard Nia Torru. St. Mary's was led by Farrren Fox with 12 and Rachel Jones' 11.

Incarnate Word gave up the game's first points when Natalie Gamez an almost impossible three-pointer as the shot clock expired. From there, the Cardinals went off on a 17-4 tear for a 17-7 lead with 10:44 showing on the first half clock.

The lead stayed with UIW until there were but 27 seconds before the break. St. Mary's Ashton Benford made a layup and then the ensuing free throw and the Rattlers took a 24-22 lead to the locker room.

In the second half there were nine lead changes and three ties, the last coming with 3:39 to go in the game. Breaking out of that 39-39 deadlock, Jones made a single free throw to put St. Mary's on top 40-39 and the Rattlers never trailed thereafter.

That lead got to five with 21 ticks to go, 46-41, when UIW's Kim Robinson made a three-pointer. Forced to foul, UIW sent St. Mary's Gamez to the line but she missed the first and the Cardinals rebounded. Torru got up a rushed three for a possible win only to see it bounce harmlessly off the iron.

The win shoved St. Mary's to the top of the Heartland standings at 4-0 while Incarnate Word dropped into second position at 3-1. The Rattlers with the victory won their 12th consecutive game to go to 13-4 on the year. The St. Mary's win halted Incarnate Word's victory string at six in a row. The Cardinals are now 9-8 overall.

Next up for Incarnate Word is a conference encounter with St. Edward's on Thursday, January 24, in the McDermott Center.

CARDINALS WIN SIXTH STRAIGHT -- posted Friday, January 18 2008

Incarnate Word 67, Texas A&M International 54

Senior guard Kim Robinson gave an early indication that she was going to have a big night Thursday as Incarnate Word played its third consecutive road game in Heartland Conference action.

In the 67-54 Cardinals (9-7; 3-0) win over Texas A&M International (5-10; 1-2) in Laredo, Robinson put in a three-pointer as the first score of the game and UIW was off and running. TAMUI led one time all night, for one minute and 21 seconds. That one lead was 19-18 with 7:59 remaining in the first half.

Junior Keisha Greenwood put an end to that with a jump shot at 6:38 and the Cardinals never trailed from there on.

Robinson led all scorers for the night with 19 points including 3-6 on three’s. She also recorded nine rebounds, two assists and one steal.

In the second half, the Dustdevils trimmed the lead to a single point twice, the last at 45-44 with 10:10 remaining, but could never gain the advantage. The Cardinals went off 6-0 from there to regain control with the margin rising to as much as 15.

Two other Cardinals were in double points. Sophomore center Hayley Harvey tallied 14 to go with seven rebounds while freshman center Megan Holden came next with 10 points. Sophomore guard Nia Torru just missed a double-double with a game high 11 rebounds and nine points.

That was the Cardinals’ sixth consecutive win, the longest string since the days when they were known as Crusaders. Back in 1998-1999 UIW won a school record 18 consecutive games.

Next up, the ultimate Heartland challenge. On Monday, January 21, UIW will host St. Mary’s at 5:30 p.m. in the McDermott Center. These two squads are tied atop the league standings at 3-0 each. St. Mary’s will come to UIW Monday riding an 11-game winning string on the way to a 12-4 record.

ROBINSON CLEANS THE GLASS IN WIN -- posted Saturday, January 12 2008

INCARNATE WORD 73, TEXAS / PERMIAN BASIN 38

A significant difference in made field goals combined with a career performance on the backboards pushed Incarnate Word to a fifth consecutive victory with a 73-38 crushing of Texas / Permian Basin Saturday night in Heartland Conference basketball action.

The road win kept the Cardinals in a Heartland deadlock with both St. Edward's and St. Mary's. All are 2-0 in the early going.

Senior guard Kim Robinson has proven in the past she is a rebounder of the first order but never like this game where she cleared 17 missed shots off the glass for a career high. She set a tone by snagging the first two missed shots of the game. The Cardinals won the battle of the boards by a 48 to 31 margin.

In the shooting game, the Cardinals (8-7; 2-0) made 28 field goals and finished with a percentage of 43.8 while holding UTPB to just 27.8 per cent with 15 made shots.

Sophomore center Hayley Harvey got the game started with a field goal then Permian Basin tied it at 2-2. Sophomore guard Nia Torru followed with a layup and UIW never looked back.

Sophomore Cinnamon Kava scored a layup at the 7:55 mark of the first half and Incarnate Word had its first double-digit lead at 21-10. The halftime margin for UIW was 33-18.

With 17:22 showing on the second half clock, Harvey got another layup and the Cardinals led by 20, 40-20, for the first time. Thereafter the lead never was below 20 points.

Torru was the leading Incarnate Word scorer with 18 while Harvey chipped in 14. Junior forward Keisha Greenwood came off the UIW bench for 10 as the only other Cardinal in double points. Robinson had eight to go with all those rebounds.

UIW, as might be expected, dominated the assists statistic by a 19-6 count led by five from both senior guard Ieasha Sledge and sophomore guard Brittany Hardy.

Next up for Incarnate Word is a Thursday, January 17 trip to play at Texas A&M / International. After that, the Cardinals will play five consecutive Heartland game in the friendly confines of the UIW McDermott Center.

UIW GETS FIRST CONFERENCE WIN -- posted Friday, January 11 2008

INCARNATE WORD 62, OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE 56

Paced by a career high 22 points from sophomore guard Cinnamon Kava Incarnate Word opened Heartland Conference action with a 62-56 road victory over Oklahoma Panhandle Thursday.

Getting her third straight start and producing her third consecutive game in double points, Kava was the only Cardinal in double points. She was 8-12 from the field including 5-7 on long balls.

Incarnate Word now has won four consecutive games to pull even on the year for the first time. Next up for UIW is a Heartland game Saturday night at Texas / Permian Basin.

In the first half, freshman center Megan Holden sank a pair of free throws at the 13:12 mark to pull UIW into an 8-8 tie. From there the Cardinals (7-7; 1-0) outscored the Aggies (5-7; 0-1) 17-6 to lead 23-14 and never trail before the halftime break. In that stretch, Kava had five points and senior guard Ieasha Sledge had four.

Oklahoma Panhandle in the first six minutes of the second period went 12-2 on the Cardinals to lead 37-33. OPSU would remain on top until 5:55 was left when sophomore guard Brittany Hardy put in a three-pointer to push UIW back on top at 51-50.

The eighth tie of the night came at 56 all with 2:41 left in the game. From there, the Cardinals threw a shutout defense on Panhandle to finish 6-0 for the final margin. In that run Kava had another three-pointer, sophomore guard Nia Torru made a pair of free throws and sophomore center Hayley Harvey made one of two at the line.

For the night, the Cardinals shot the ball at a 46.0 clip from the field while holding OPSU to 35.6 per cent.

For the Cardinals, Harvey was the game’s leading rebounder with eight and she added a trio of blocked shots.

UIW NEVER TRAILED IN WIN OVER RANKED TEAM -- posted Sunday, January 6 2008

INCARNATE WORD 68, TEXAS A&M / COMMERCE 57

Incarnate Word’s women Sunday afternoon led wire to wire in a 68-57 victory over Texas A&M / Commerce, the nation’s number 17 team in Division II.

Bringing a fast pace out of the pre-game locker room, the Cardinals(6-7) jumped on top quickly largely behind senior guard Kim Robinson who scored nine points in the first nine-plus minutes and at the 10:53 mark of the first half UIW had an 18-4 lead over the Lions (10-3). Robinson was so dominant early that the TAMUC coach in a timeout loudly asked his team if UIW’s “number 14 was that good that she had 11 of her team’s 20 points.”

Robinson finished the day as the game’s highest scorer with her personal season best 25. From the field she was 8-14 including 3-6 on three-pointers and 6-8 at the free throw line. She also tied for the team high in rebounds with nine. Sophomore center Hayley Harvey also had nine caroms.

That 14-point margin would be the Cardinals’ best of the day and they achieved the 14 on two more occasions in the first half before going to the locker room ahead 34-24 at the break.

Texas A&M came back in the second 20 minutes to score the first six points and cut the lead to 34-30 forcing a timeout by the Cardinals. UIW managed to right the ship briefly before watching the lead reduced to a single point on three different occasions, the last being 47-46 at the 10:27 mark.

After that, the Lions missed a free throw to tie, then had consecutive turnovers before missing a jump shot to take the lead. That was at 9:38 and the Cardinals still were on top 47-46.

UIW went back on the attack and outscored the Lions 7-0 behind a three-pointer from sophomore guard Cinnamon Kava and two pairs of free throws by Robinson and sophomore guard Nia Torru respectively.
The Cardinals from there on were able to maintain a safe lead to the final buzzer.

Incarnate Word came out ahead in some statistical categories which can make a difference in any game. The Cardinals outshot the Lions by 41.2 per cent to 34.8 from the field and UIW won the free throw battle by 18 of 29 to 11-12.

A more telling mark was the difference in three-point shooting where Incarnate Word dominated by going 8-17 while Commerce drew a blank on 0-12. In that department UIW got 4-6 from Kava.

This was the final non-conference game of the year for Incarnate Word as the Cardinals now jump into Heartland Conference action with a two-game road trip at the end of this week. First up is Oklahoma Panhandle on Thursday in Oklahoma followed by a Saturday game at Texas / Permian Basin. UIW will be seeking a return to the Heartland’s post-season championship where a year ago it reached the final game.

CARDINALS END 2007 WITH TWO-GAME SWEEP -- posted Monday, December 31 2007

Incarnate Word had lost three straight games but there was an atmosphere of determination that all could change in the final two days of calendar year 2007. It happened.

The Cardinals were across San Antonio to play in the annual St. Mary's Classic where, with just 48 hours remaining in the year, UIW had two chances to get back in the win column.

Day one, the Cardinals met Montevallo (Ala) of the Gulf South Conference and Incarnate Word came away the winner by a 77-66 count.

The second and final day, UIW played Southeastern Oklahoma of the Lone Star Conference, a team which the Cardinals meet on a fairly regular basis over time. Again, the Cardinals came away with a win, 57-53.

For their efforts, two Cardinals were named to the all-tournament team. Those honors went to a pair of sophomore guards, Nia Torru and Brittany Hardy.

Those two victories pushed Incarnate Word to 5-7 on the season. Next up is Texas A&M / Commerce of the Lone Star. This game on January 6 at 3 p.m. in the McDermott Center will be UIW's final non-Heartland Conference game.

After that, the Cardinals plunge directly into their Heartland slate in an effort to surpass a year ago when they won their way in the finals of the post-season tournament.

UIW DROPS ROAD GAME IN OKLAHOMA -- posted Wednesday, December 19 2007

NORTHEASTERN OKLAHOMA WOMEN 62, INCARNATE WORD 42

It came down to shooting in the second half Wednesday afternoon in Tahlequah, Okla., as Northeastern Oklahoma (4-7) put a 62-42 defeat on Incarnate Word (3-6) in non-conference basketball action.

Incarnate Word got out to a 24-20 halftime lead by matching the River Hawks in field goal percentage—33.3 each. That changed however after the halftime break. NEO came roaring out of the locker room and put the basketball in the hoop to the tune of 65.4 per cent over the final 20 minutes, making 17 of 26 attempts.

On the flip side, the Cardinals were not so good going 5-24 on field goal attempts for a 20.8 percentage. A 12-field goal advantage including a plus of five on three’s will generally wipe out any narrow halftime lead.

The Cardinals put but one player in double points. Freshman center Megan Holden came off the UIW bench to score 10 to go with her five rebounds and one block.

In the shooting department, senior guard Ieasha Sledge and junior forward Keisha Greenwood were both two of three from the floor and they were the only ones to be above .500

Incarnate Word continues its Oklahoma trek on Thursday with a 6 p.m. game at S

SECOND HALF DOES IN CARDINALS -- posted Saturday, December 15 2007

MIDWESTERN STATE 63, INCARNATE WORD 55

Midwestern State broke out of halftime deadlock by shooting the ball at a 60 per cent clip Saturday afternoon to gain a 63-55 decision over home standing Incarnate Word in non-conference basketball action.

The teams were even at 26-all at the break. Incarnate Word (3-5) got made three-pointers from sophomore guard Nia Torru first and then from senior guard Ieasha Sledge to go up 32-28. That was at the 18:03 mark of the second half and that would be the best the Cardinals would do the rest of the way.

Midwestern State (3-4) from that point out ran the Cardinals to the tune of 12-0 for an eight-point lead at 40-32 with 13:52 remaining. In those four-plus minutes, the Mustangs were five of six from the field and that was the game’s story—good shooting. In the second half MSU was 12-20 from the field including 4-8 on three-pointers.

All that accuracy gave the Mustangs four players in double points led by 18 from forward Brandy Moore.

On the other side, the Cardinals had but two players with double scoring. Senior guard Kim Robinson led with 15 on 5-13 shooting and 5-5 at the line to go with four assists and a team-high three steals. Sophomore guard Nia Torru was the other over 10 as she tallied 14.

In the rebounding department, the two teams were even at 34. For UIW, sophomore center Hayley Harvey led with eight.

The Cardinals now go on the road for a pair of games beginning at Northeastern Oklahoma on Wednesday followed by a contest at Southwestern Oklahoma on Thursday.

RECORDS:

MSU 3-4
UIW 3-5

CARDINALS EDGE AGGIES FOR WIN -- posted Friday, December 14 2007

INCARNATE WORD 48, CAMERON (OKLA) 43

The Incarnate Word women’s basketball team left the McDermott Center Friday afternoon talking about the final 4:15 of its 48-43 win over Cameron of Oklahoma in non-conference action.

Those final minutes were the ones which made the difference and, for that matter, put some spin on a game that was headed into oblivion from both team’s perspectives.

At the 4:15 mark of the second half, the score was tied for the 13th time. It was 33-33 after almost 36 minutes of play. Both teams were showing the effects of long layoffs due to final examinations and graduation. UIW (3-4) had not played in two weeks and three days while the Aggies (1-8) last played a game one week ago.

But on to the last 4:15.

Incarnate Word outscored Cameron 15-10 in that time, recording 31 per cent of its day’s total points. Eleven of those 15 were at the free throw line because when the Cardinals got an edge CU was forced to foul and stop the clock. UIW made 11 of 12 at the line led by senior guard Ieasha Sledge who was 4-4 in the last 20 seconds.

Sledge scored but four points total in the game. Before Friday’s win, she had played only 11 minutes since the Thanksgiving weekend while nursing a foot problem back to health.

The only field goal in the final Cardinals surge was by sophomore Hayley Harvey and her layup began the run in the 4:15 minutes.

From that 33-33 tie, UIW went off 8-0 to 41-33, its largest lead of the game. In fact it was the largest lead by either team. Cameron led by three once in the first half and thanks to a midcourt shot with one second on the first half clock the Aggies had a two-point lead at the break.

Most of the statistical categories were somewhere around even except at the free throw line where Incarnate Word had a big advantage of 19-23 to 8-11, thanks to the final 4:15.

Two Cardinals were in double figure points at day’s end. Sophomore guard Brittany Hardy led the way with 14 to go with her team high eight rebounds and a game high five steals.

Senior guard Kim Robinson made two of those final 11 free throws and those gave her 10 points for the game. She had six rebounds and a game high three assists.

The Cardinals turn right around on Saturday for a 2 p.m. home game against Midwestern State.

RECORDS:

CU 1-8
UIW 3-4

TORRU'S BEST IS JUST SHORT -- posted Tuesday, November 27 2007

ABILENE CHRISTIAN 71, INCARNATE WORD 67

It came down to being too much Audrey Maxwell Tuesday night at the McDermott Center as Abilene Christian overcame a halftime deficit to outgun Incarnate Word down the stretch in a 71-67 non-conference win.

Maxwell, a 6-1 junior center, led all scorers in the game with 39 on 15-23 shooting and 8-10 at the free throw line. She also was the game’s best in rebounds with 16.

UIW sophomore guard Nia Torru tried her hardest by tying her career-high with 28 points on 10-16 shooting including 4-8 from three-point range and 4-4 at the line. She recorded her first double-double of the year with 10 rebounds to go with four assists and a steal.

Incarnate Word controlled the first half thanks almost entirely to Torru. Down 10-8 with 12:13 to go, Torru produced a five-minute effort unseen at the McDermott Center in recent memory.

In those minutes, she outscored Abilene Christian 13-0 to put the Cardinals up 21-10 with 7:18 left until halftime. And if those 13 straight points weren’t enough, she hauled in four rebounds. Just 15 seconds later she subbed out of the game for an earned rest. UIW had its largest lead of the night at 11.

With the Houston Bellaire High School product on the bench, ACU outscored Incarnate Word 17-10 for the remainder of the half but the Cardinals still led 31-27 at the break.

Maxwell meanwhile had 16 points going into the locker room.

She put on a mini-Torru act over a three and one-half minute period early in the second half. From 17:25 to 14:00, and the Wildcats down 38-29, Maxwell scored seven points and snagged six rebounds and ACU was up 42-40. The Wildcats never trailed thereafter with their largest lead being six on three different occasions.

Incarnate Word rallied to a 65-65 tie at 2:25 on a jumper by junior forward Keisha Greenwood but Abilene Christian ran it out 6-2 for the win. Of those six points, Maxwell had four to go with a rebound and an assist.

The shooting percentages for the two teams were just a hair off being a flat-footed tie, 38.7 to 38.6 for UIW. The Wildcats outrebound the Cardinals by 47-38. Almost all statistics were somewhat even save free throws where ACU was dominate with an 18-21 performance to just 5-6 for UIW.

Incarnate Word, having played six games in the first 11 days of the season, now will take a break for finals and commencement before returning to action on December 14 with a home game against Cameron of Oklahoma.

UIW REVERSES FORM FOR WIN -- posted Sunday, November 25 2007

INCARNATE WORD 80, TEXAS A&M / KINGSVILLE 65

In a reversal from the previous day, Incarnate Word took on an undefeated team and this time came away the winner by an 80-65 count over host Texas A&M / Kingsville at the Turkey Day Shootout.

With the victory, UIW goes to 2-3 on the season while the Javelinas lost their first game of the season and are now 3-1. The day before the Cardinals had dropped game one of the Shootout to unbeaten Concordia of Minnesota.

In running up their highest point total of the year, the Cardinals started fast and never let up. On the way to a commanding 45-20 halftime lead, UIW was in control. Sophomore guard Nia Torru scored the game's first points on a layup and the Cardinals never were behind.

Between 16:57 when the score was 8-6, to 13:52 Incarnate Word ran off a 12-0 difference. And then from 11:29 to 7:32 UIW had another blanking of 7-0 to get the scoreboard to 31-11. That was 19 unanswered points in two runs of less than seven minutes total.

In the first spurt, which for all purposes put the game away, freshman center Megan Holden came off the bench to lead with four of the 12 points while sophomore guard Cinnamon Kava and senior guard Kim Robinson both nailed three-pointers.

Kava was on her way to a game high 20 points and a place on the all-tournament team. She shot 5-8 from the field including 3-6 on home runs to go with 7-8 at the line.

Robinson was next with 19 points accompanied by a game-high eight rebounds. The other Cardinal in double points was sophomore guard Brittany Hardy with 15. She also had seven boards and a game-high seven assists. Hardy now has double points in all five games this year.

The largest lead for UIW was in the second half when Robinson tossed in a three to make it 58-30, a 28-point spread at the 13:53 mark.

After five straight games on the road to open the campaign, Incarnate Word now gets to play in the familiar confines of the McDermott Center. In fact, the next three games will be at home beginning Tuesday (November 27) when Abilene Christian comes calling. This will be the second meeting of the two this year after UIW won 59-51 in Austin earlier this month. Tipoff Tuesday is 6 p.m.

CONCORDIA BESTS CARDINALS -- posted Saturday, November 24 2007

CONCORDIA (Minn) 88, INCARNATE WORD 60

Off-the-mark shots and an odd rebounding of those misses doomed Incarnate Word Friday in game one of the Turkey Day Shootout in Kingsville as the Cardinals fell 88-60 to Concordia of Minnesota in non-conference basketball action.

The Cardinals shot but 32.9 per cent from the field (23-70) and while UIW did come up with 17 offensive rebounds Concordia swept away32 misses which equaled Incarnate Word's total caroms, offensive and defensive, for the day.

On the flip side, Concordia shot 60 (36-60) per cent from the field including a staggering 64 per cent (9-14) from beyond the arc. With that effort, Concordia remained undefeated at 3-0 while UIW fell to 1-3 on the still-young season.

The Cardinals got double-point production from four players with 11 each from senior guard Kim Robinson, sophomore guard Cinnamon Kava and junior forward Keisha Greenwood. Sophomore guard Brittany Hardy scored 10 and now has double figures in every game this year.

Incarnate Word came out fast and led 13-8 at the 14:20 mark of the first half. Then Concordia lowered the boom with an 18-1 surge for a 26-14 margin at 9:42 and UIW would struggle uphill for the remainder. The Cardinals did put on a rush themselves by going 17-5 cutting the lead to one, 34-33 at 3:47, but could never regain the advantage. The halftime score was 45-37 Concordia.

A 10-2 run by Concordia immediately after the half put the game out of reach.

Incarnate Word returns to immediate action on Saturday when it plays host Texas A&M / Kingsville in the final game of the Shootout at 7 p.m.

CARDINALS DROP ROAD GAME AT TARLETON STATE -- posted Tuesday, November 20 2007

TARLETON STATE 53, INCARNATE WORD 45

There is something about halftime sessions in locker rooms at basketball games. Tarleton State found the magic Tuesday night as the Texanns pushed themselves to a 53-45 win over Incarnate Word in non-conference action played in Stephenville.

The Cardinals (1-2) held the lead for most of the first 20 minutes and were up 24-23 at the break. Then came the rush as Tarleton State came out with an 8-0 spurt and led 31-24 with just two minutes elapsed in the second half.

That lead held up until Incarnate Word managed to right itself and regain the advantage at 36-35 when sophomore center Hayley Harvey made a short jumper. The UIW scoring margin in that time was 11-4.

The Cardinals lead was short-lived however as Tarleton State regained the lead at 39-38 with 10:01 to go. The Texanns never trailed thereafter.

UIW narrowed it to 48-42 but over the final two minutes was forced to foul to stop the clock and TSU went 5-6 at the line. Over the course of the game, Tarleton State had a margin of 14-21 to 4-9 at the charity stripe.

Sophomore guard Nia Torru, the leading scorer a year ago, led the Cardinals with 15 points on 6-14 shooting including 3-8 from beyond the arc. Her help came from sophomore guard Brittany Hardy who had 10, her third straight game of double figure points this year.

Freshman center Megan Holden came off the UIW bench to grab up a game-high seven rebounds.

The Cardinals next go to the Turkey Day Shootout hosted by Texas A&M / Kingsville. On Friday UIW will play Concordia of Minnesota at 4:30 p.m. and then on Saturday at 7 p.m. will go against TAMUK.

RECORDS:

UIW 1-2
TSU 1-0

UIW DROPS SECOND GAME IN AUSTIN -- posted Saturday, November 17 2007

MISSOURI SOUTHERN 52, INCARNATE WORD 43

A push coming out of the halftime locker room sent Missouri Southern to a 52-43 women’s basketball decision over Incarnate Word Saturday afternoon at the St. Edward’s Shootout in Austin.

Missouri Southern of the Mid-America Conference left Austin with a perfect 2-0 mark after winning over host St. Edward’s on Friday and then UIW on Saturday. The Cardinals are 1-1 in the young season after defeating Abilene Christian in the Shootout’s first game Friday.

Incarnate Word controlled the game through most of the first half rolling up as much as an eight-point lead at the 14:58 mark when sophomore center Hayley Harvey cashed in on a layup. In the initial 20 minutes, MSU led for less than four minutes while playing catchup.

Nursing the one-point, 30-29, margin beginning the second 20 minutes, UIW saw Missouri Southern tie it on one free throw at 19:46 and then get a layup at 17:57 to take the lead for good. The mini-runs began with a 6-0 margin and ultimately 12-4. The margin ranged from four to seven points for the remainder of the game until late when MSU made four of four at the line to get the final margin to 11.

Sophomore guard Brittany Hardy led the Cardinals with 12 points, her identical total to Friday’s game. On Friday all 12 points were on free throws. This time she was 4-7 from the field and 4-7 at the line. She also led the team with six rebounds, three assists and two steals.

No other UIW player was in double points.

Missouri Southern outrebounded the Cardinals by 34-28 and outshot UIW from the field by 38.1 per cent to 32.6.

The Cardinals continue on the road Tuesday (November 20) when they travel to Tarleton State for a 6 p.m. tipoff.

MSU: Fatai Hala’Api’Aapi 2-1-5; Ela Zawadka 2-1-5; India Wood 1-0-1; Ivaney Marquez 0-0-0; Robin Kantin 3-4-11; Randi Henderson 0-0-0; Trice Bonner 2-6-12; Danielle Devader 2-0-5; Nichole Helfrich 0-0-0; Tynesha Pierce 4-2-10.

UIW: Hayley Harvey 1-4-6; Brittany Hardy 4-4-12; Kim Robinson 2-0-4; Nia Torru 4-0-9; Cinnamon Kava 0-3-3; Ieasha Sledge 0-0-0; Keisha Greenwood 1-1-4; Megan Holden 2-1-5.

Halftime: Incarnate Word 30-29

3-PT: MSU 6-18 (Bonner, DaVader 2); UIW 2-19 (Torru, Greenwood). FT: MSU 14-18. UIW 13-23. REBS: MSU 34 (Pierce 7); UIW 28 (Hardy 6). ASST: MSU 14 (Wood 6); UIW 9 (Hardy, Torru 3). TO: MSU 18 (Kantin 4); UIW 13 (Torru 5). BLK: MSU 2 (Hala’Api’Api, Pierce); UIW 2 (Harvey 2). STL MSU 5 (Helfrich 2); UIW 6 (Harvey, Hardy 2).

FG Pct: MSU 16-42, 38.1; UIW 14-43, 32.6. 3FG Pct.: MSU 6-18, 33.3; UIW 2-19, 10.5. FT Pct: MSU 14-18, 77.8; UIW 13-23, 56.5.

RECORDS:

MSU 2-0
UIW 1-1

BIG RALLY NETS FIRST UIW WIN OF SEASON -- posted Saturday, November 17 2007

INCARNATE WORD WOMEN 59, ABILENE CHRISTIAN 51

A furious run early in the second half wiped out a five-point Abilene Christian halftime lead and propelled Incarnate Word to a 59-51 victory in game one of the St. Edward's Shootout in Austin Friday afternoon.

The ACU lead was 31-26 at the break and both teams got baskets before the Cardinals shut out the Wildcats over a 4:27 period while putting 15 straight points on their side of the scoreboard. At the end of that time, UIW was on top 43-33 and on the way to a season-opening win.

In that 15-point run, five different Incarnate Word players scored. It all started with a three-pointer from senior guard Kim Robinson, playing her first game in almost a year's time after undergoing knee surgery early last season.

In the crushing run by UIW, a major contributor was junior transfer forward Keisha Greenwood who had a pair of baskets to go with two rebounds and a steal. Greenwood played but nine minutes in the game but finished with seven points, a team high eight rebounds and a blocked shot.

Sophomore guard Cinnamon Kava came off the bench for a pair of baskets to go with a steal in the critical four-plus minute streak.

Incarnate Word had two in double points for the day led by 16 from sophomore guard Nia Torru who picked up where she left off last spring when she was named Heartland Conference first team and freshman of the year. She shot 6-12 from the field to go with six rebounds and four assists.

The other Cardinal in double points was sophomore guard Brittany Hardy with 12, all from the free throw line (12-16). She also grabbed seven missed shots.

On the day Incarnate Word shot 35.2 per cent from the field while holding Abilene Christian to just 29.7 shooting. A year ago ACU won two games from the Cardinals.

Incarnate Word will play Missouri Southern on Saturday with tipoff set for 1 p.m. at St. Edward's in Austin.

UIW: Torru, 6-3-16; Harvey 3-0-6; Sledge 0-0-0; Robinson 1-0-3; Kava 3-2-9; Villarreal 0-0-0; Greenwood 3-0-7; Hardy 0-12-12; Holden 3-0-6. 3Pts, 4-16 (Torru, Robinson, Kava, Greenwood). Rebounds, 41 (Greenwood 8). Assists, 8 (Torru 4). Blocks, 4 (4 with 1). Steals, 9 (Robinson 3).

ACU: Davidson 3-2-8; Ja. Meyer 2-3-7; Jo. Meyer 4-7-15; Darby 2-0-4; Gutton 4-0-8; Whitaker 1-0-2; Kundmueller 0-0-0; Simmel 1-0-2; Barr 2-0-4. 3Pts, 1-20 (Simmel). Rebounds 46 (Jo. Meyer 14). Assists 4 (Jo. Meyer 2). Blocks 1 (Ja. Meyer). Steals 6 (Davidson, Gutton 2).

RECORDS:

UIW 1-0
ACU 0-1

WOMEN GET OUT FIRST WITH TWO GAMES -- posted Monday, November 12 2007

Basketball season is at hand at Incarnate Word and the women Cardinals get off the line first with a pair of games this week in Austin.

UIW will play in the annual St. Edward’s Classic. Friday(November 16) Incarnate Word goes against Abilene Christian at 1 p.m. and then on Saturday (November 17) also at 1 p.m. the Cardinals get Missouri Southern.

The Cardinals will be seeking to up their production from a year ago when UIW went 15-14 and reached the finals of the Heartland Conference tournament.

Coach Angela Lawson returns six players including 2007 Heartland freshman of the year Nia Torru and Ieasha Sledge who was second team all-conference. Also back is Kim Robinson who missed most of last year with a knee injury after being All-Heartland in 2005-2006 as the leading UIW scorer.

Incarnate Word begins the year with five games away from home before finally returning to the McDermott Center for a November 27 game against Abilene Christian.

TWO CARDINALS ON PRE-SEASON “ALL” TEAM -- posted Friday, November 9 2007

Two sophomores at Incarnate Word have been named to the pre-season All-Heartland Conference team and one of the Cardinals was a unanimous choice.

In the annual vote taken from among conference coaches and sports information directors, guard Nia Torru garnered every vote cast as one of three league players to do that. The other two were forward Natalie Gamez of St. Mary’s and forward Tammy Bartosh of St. Edward’s.

A year ago, after leading UIW in both scoring and rebounding, Torru was voted all-conference and freshman of the year.

Joining her on the pre-season select squad was UIW sophomore center Hayley Harvey.

Associated with the voting for the pre-season team, pollsters were asked to predict the outcome of the conference race and Incarnate Word was given a narrow vote of approval to capture the crown after reaching last year’s tournament final game.

The Cardinals received 80 points in the voting to nudge out St. Edward’s which accumulated 79 points.

Incarnate Word will open the 2007-2008 season on Friday, November 16, when the Cardinals travel to Austin to meet Abilene Christian on the first day of the St. Edward’s Classic.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SIGNS FIVE -- posted Thursday, June 7 2007

Five players, two freshmen and three juniors, have indicated they will play women’s basketball at Incarnate Word in the coming season.

Cardinals’ Coach Angela Lawson said the five will be on hand in August when fall semester classes begin and all will be eligible to play in the 2007-2008 season.

The five come to a UIW program which returned to its winning ways last season, earned a berth in the Heartland Conference post-season championship tournament, and won its way to the semi-finals before falling.

Coach Lawson said the two freshmen are Megan Holden, a 6-0 post player from Clear Lake High School in the Houston area, and 5-6 guard Mireina Villarreal who is a product of Alice High School in South Texas.

Holden was third team Greater Houston and was all-district. She also was a regional meet qualifier in the discus.

The three transfer players are Ashley Leffingwell, Keisha Greenwood and Maggy Deweber.

Leffingwell is a 5-9 guard who comes from Texas State where she averaged eight points and shot 83 per cent at the free throw line. She is a product of Allen High School in the Dallas area.

Greenwood is transferring from Blinn Junior College. She is a 5-9 forward from Corpus Christi’s West Oso High School where she was All-South Texas.

Deweber is a 5-6 guard who is coming to UIW from Texas Woman’s where she averaged 8.8 points and was recognized for her three-point shooting abilities. At Alvord High School she was all-state and played in the TABC all-star game.