INCARNATE WORD 92, HUSTON-TILLOTSON 79
A blistering second half Monday night sent Incarnate Word to its season-opening win with a 92-79 decision over visiting Huston-Tillotson.
Nursing a 39-32 halftime lead, the Cardinals shot the ball at the high rate of .654 in the second half for a 53-point outburst. A large part of that pace came as the Incarnate Word inside duo of senior center Tamas Cseh and junior forward Tracy Robinson were a combined 10 of 16 from the floor and eight of nine at the free throw line. Both scored 14 points in the game and they joined up to dominate the back boards with 20 total as the Cardinals won the glass by a 49-34 count.
Robinson got the team’s first double-double of the year with the 14 points and his career high 15 rebounds. Cseh’s 14 points were his career high.
The somewhat slow pace of the first half was largely caused by a lack of rhythm to the game what with all the fouls and turnovers. This being the Cardinals’ first game and with seven new faces in the lineup it took the first 20 minutes to get a feel for the game. On the night the teams combined for 51 fouls, 62 free throws, and 49 turnovers.
The Rams managed to keep the seven-point halftime deficit to exactly that, seven points, with a James Black jumper at the 15:04 mark of the second period. But from 49-42 UIW went off 8-0 to 57-42 and a 15-point lead. Huston-Tillotson would not get the margin under double figures again.
Cardinals’ fans rejoiced when the team surpassed the 90-point mark on the scoreboard. Last season 14 times UIW got over that level and the record was 13-1.
Senior guard Pierce Caldwell resumed his place at the head of the UIW points list with 18. Among his 18 were a pair of three’s. Every time he makes a three he ups his own school mark which is now stands at 268 total.
Next up for the Cardinals is a trip across San Antonio to visit Our Lady of the Lake in this the Saints’ first season of men’s basketball. The Thursday game tips at 7 p.m. at OLLU.
RECORDS:
HTU 0-2
UIW 1-0