SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Angelo State women's basketball team lost only its second road game of the year falling to Incarnate Word 60-52 in San Antonio on Saturday.
 
“Incarnate Word was able to knock down a couple of threes and we just quit scoring,” head coach Sally Walling Brooks said after the game. “We did a good job of hanging in there and taking back the lead. I just thought we got tentative on the offensive end and we quite scoring.”
 
The Belles (7-8, 4-5 LSC) were in control of Incarnate Word (10-5, 6-3 LSC) and had built a five point lead with 7:39 to go in the game. The Cardinals were sparked by Katy Cooke's two 3-pointers over the final five minutes of the game. Angelo State was outscored 17-4 over the final 7:39 of the game and committed 17 turnovers in the game compared to just nine for Incarnate Word.
 
ASU held the Incarnate Word to just 35-percent (19-54) from the field but the Cardinals hit 37-percent from 3-point land for the game.
                          
The Cardinals started the game on a 6-0 run through the first two minutes of the game until the Belles answered with a 5-0 run. Leah LeMaire scored two free throws and Haylee Oliver hit the Belles only three-pointer of the half. The biggest lead of the first half was seven by UIW at the 1:38 mark but ASU was able to cut it to four before the half.
 
Incarnate Word hit all nine free throws in the first half and shot 40.7-percent (11-27) while the Belles shot 50-percent (12-24) and hit 60-percent from the line (3-5). ASU was plagued by 12 first half turnovers.
 
The second half started with Incarnate Word getting a six-point lead on free throws by Ashlyn Green. The Belles had to battle UIW in the second half to keep it close. The two teams exchanged baskets until the Belles went on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 12:17 mark behind baskets from Lauren Holt and Ashley James.
 
 Angelo State built its biggest lead of the game of 48-43 lead with 7:39 before scoring only four points the rest of the way.
 
Holt led the Belles in scoring with 11 points. Morgan Youngblood scored a season-high 10 points while grabbing six rebounds. The junior also blocked three shots and stole two balls.
 
Green and Katy Cooke led the Cardinals with 12 points each while Rose Whitehead chipped in 10 points. Incarnate Word made 10 steals in the game.
 
It was the first chance for the Belles to win Walling Brooks her 400^th career victory. The next opportunity will be at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19 against Abilene Christian in Stephens Arena at the Junell Center.