NEW ORLEANS, La. - In a game that saw neither team take a three-possession lead throughout, Lamar University's women's basketball team rallied from five points down with nine unanswered points, including the game-winning basket by New Orleans native
T'Aaliyah Miner that sealed LU's 63-60 win over the Privateers. LU has won their last eight games and are still tops in the Southland Conference at 12-1 to go with their 18-5 overall record.
Akasha Davis was a force for the Cardinals as she recorded her 13th double-double of the season scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds.
R'Mani Taylor posted 17 points and dished out six assists while
Jacei Denley recorded 12 points. Although
Sabria Dean finished with just two points in the game, she achieved a milestone as Saturday marked the 100th consecutive game she was in the starting lineup dating all the way back to Jan. 6th, 2021. As a whole, the Cardinals managed to outshoot UNO from the field (41.9%-39.6%) and crashed the board for a 40-32 edge in rebounds.
After trailing 5-2 early, the Cardinals put together a 10-3 run to lead 12-8. Taylor led with five points while Davis picked up four in the run, but over the final minutes, the Privateers took command with a 7-2 run to lead 15-14. Despite trailing by one, the Cardinals were able to connect on 54.5% from the field.
Falling behind by three early in the second quarter, Big Red retook the lead at 18-17 after a pair of Denley free throws. With the score tied at 20, UNO racked up six of the next eight points to lead 26-22 before
NJ Weems cut the lead in half. Neither team could get a hot streak going as the Cardinals converted 17.6% while UNO was held to 25.0%. UNO took a 26-24 lead into the locker room.
The Cardinals won the third quarter with a 16-13 margin to lead 40-39. After falling behind by four, Big Red knotted the score at 30 before Davis went on an 8-5 run to push LU's lead to 38-35. While the Privateers would trail for the rest of the quarter, the Cardinals couldn't take advantage of opportunities to stretch their lead despite shooting 53.5% from the field.
As the fourth quarter started, LU's one-point lead suddenly turned into a five-point UNO advantage at 57-52, which included a pair of three-point plays. But much like the last meeting between the two teams, the Cardinals refused to back off. After Davis made a critical lay-up, Taylor knotted the score at 57 with a three-pointer. Then, it was Miner who delivered in the clutch with her only points of the game in her hometown. This gave LU a lead they would never relinquish.
Taylor then made a key block on the ensuing possession and Denley converted a basket to push LU's lead to four. While a three-point play by UNO made it 61-60 with 17 seconds left, the Cardinals got key free throws from Davis and another New Orleans native in
Brooklyn Mitchell before holding on to a 63-60 victory.
The Cardinals are home for two games this coming week. Big Red hosts McNeese this Thursday night at 7:00 PM.
