Saints Women Drop Close Game Against Texarkana

TEXARKANA, TEXAS (Feb. 3, 2024) – The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) women's basketball team lost in the final minutes against Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) 52-47 on Saturday. The Saints are now 7-13 overall and 6-9 in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC). The Eagles jump to 11-10 overall and 8-7 in conference.

Head Coach Tanya Ray said, "I'm happy with the effort for the most part, but it felt like they just ran out of gas at the end. I look forward to being home for the next few weeks."

History

The Saints were 4-3 against the Eagles prior to the game.

Basics

Both teams struggled shooting in the first half. The Saints were able to force the Eagles into six turnovers and Tiffany Lopez had double-digit points at the break. OLLU stayed disciplined defensively in the first half by not allowing a free throw by the Eagles. The Saints led by three points at halftime backed by 41.7 percent shooting from the field in the second quarter.

The Saints outscored the Eagles yet again in the third quarter. They put up 16 points on 66.7 percent shooting from three-point range. Julia Plata had six points in the frame and Lopez grabbed three rebounds. They also forced the Eagles into six turnovers. The Saints struggled in the fourth quarter while Texarkana's offense came alive. The Eagles outscored the Saints 14-4 in the fourth quarter and didn't allow any points in the final three minutes. Texarkana took the permanent lead during that stretch and won by five points.

Offensive/defensive standouts

Lopez led the Saints with 20 points. Lopez also tallied a team-high eight rebounds. Plata totaled six assists.

Quren Santiago led TAMUT with 19 points. Kayla Williams grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds. Jaslyn Woods led the team with five assists.

Inside the box

OLLU combined for 18-of-51 shooting for 35.3 percent, 8-of-24 from three-point range for 33.3 percent and hit 3-of-4 free throws for 75 percent. TAMUT shot 19-of-46 for 41.3 percent, 8-of-24 three pointers for 33.3 percent and 6-of-11 from the free-throw line for 54.5 percent.

The Saints grabbed 25 rebounds while TAMUT collected 35. The Saints forced 14 turnovers and committed 10.

Up next

The Saints host Paul Quinn College on Feb. 8 at 5:30 p.m.