SAN ANTONIO – Tiani Ellison scored 28 points on Thursday night at the McDermott Center, but the East Texas A&M University women's basketball team fell 70-63 to the Incarnate Word Cardinals.
 
The Lions fall to 7-8 on the season and 3-5 against Southland Conference opponents, having lost their last two, while the Cardinals improve to 7-8 overall and 5-3 in conference play.
 
Despite the Lions never trailing in the first quarter, they could not build their lead to be bigger than four through the first 10 minutes. The game was just tied once outside of the opening tip, and it came at 6-6 as part of four straight points from the Cardinals.
 
The Lions hit a three-pointer to jump up 20-14 at the start of the second quarter, which was the largest lead for either team through the first 32 minutes of the game. The Cardinals scored the next five to come within one and then while trailing 22-19 with seven minutes to go in the half, scored the next six to pick up their first lead of the game.
 
At the half, the game was tied at 32. The Lions were held to shoot 1 for 9 from distance and went 7 for 9 at the line, while the Cardinals were a perfect 10 for 10 from the free-throw line and went 2 for 13 from deep.
 
Ellison (Durant, Okla.) scored 15 points in the first half, shooting 5 for 8 from the field and 5 for 6 at the line. Brynn Lusby came off the bench and scored 10 in the first half for the Cardinals.
 
UIW made its first two shots from deep to start the second half and held the Lions to just two made free throws during the stretch to take a 38-34 lead. A scoring drought of two minutes and 28 seconds allowed the Lions to re-take a 41-40 lead as the Cardinals shot 1 for 7 from the field during the scoring run by East Texas A&M.
 
The Cardinals shot 50 percent from the field in the third, while the Lions shot 46.3 percent in the third. UIW had a 53-51 lead entering the fourth and then held the Lions scoreless for the first two minutes and 30 seconds of the fourth to build a 58-51 lead. The largest lead for either team through that point of the game.
 
A quick 4-0 run in less than 20 seconds brough the Lions within 64-61 with 3:20 to play, but the Cardinals added a tip-in layup to push their lead back up to five. The Cardinals finished the game shooting 20 for 26 at the line.
 
The Lions shot 12 for 25 in the second half, but just 2 for 12 from deep in the game. Ellison added seven rebounds, three blocks and a steal along with her 28 points, while Reza Po (San Bruno, Calif.) tallied 13 points and three rebounds.
 
Three Cardinals scored in double digits led by 19 off the bench from Lusby, with Madison Cockrell scoring 17 and Jorja Elliott adding 10. UIW is now 7-0 all-time against East Texas A&M in the McDermott Center.  
 

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The Lions close out the weekend at HCU on Saturday at 1 p.m.