The Incarnate Word women’s basketball team took the court for the first time this season in Ruston, Louisiana, on Sunday, taking on NCAA Division I’s Louisiana Tech in an exhibition game.
The Cardinals lost, 81-52, but the game was not about the result for either school – as neither school will have the game on their final records. Instead, it was about getting on the floor against another team for the first time since the NCAA Division II Regional Tournament back in March.
Center Hayley Harvey led UIW with 16 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. Right behind in the points column was fellow senior Nia Torru, who scored 14 points, had 3 rebounds and four assists in the contest.
Jasmine Smith grabbed nine rebounds to go with her seven points.
Louisiana Tech had five players score in double digits, led by Shanavia Dowdell’s 23 points.
Incarnate Word was outscored 50-to-20 in the first half, but managed to outplay LA Tech, 32-to-31 in the second half.
Cardinals head coach Angela Lawson played for Louisiana Tech and helped the team win an NCAA National Championship in 1988 in Lawson’s senior season.
The “Coach Lawson Tour” continues on Saturday when UIW heads to Waco for another exhibition against Baylor University, where Lawson spent six years as an assistant coach before coming to Incarnate Word for the position of head women’s basketball coach.