Box Score

WAXAHACHIE, TX: The Texas Wesleyan University women’s basketball team (19-3, 11-3 RRAC) took a thrilling 63-58 win at Southwestern Assemblies of God University (16-6, 11-3) on Monday. With the win, the Rams moved into a tie for second in the Red River Athletic Conference standings, matching the Lions 11-3 conference record.

 

The Lady Rams had it going early. Nicole Terral scored Texas Wesleyan’s first eight points of the half to give the Rams an 8-6 lead. That lead swelled to as many as seven points, 16-9, but the Lions would not go away. SAGU used an 8-1 run to tie the game at 24 with 2:29 on the clock. With 19 seconds to play, Stephanie Hawkins hit a jumper in the lane to send SAGU to the locker room with a 28-26 lead. Hawkins finished the half with 13 points.

 

In the second half, Chelsea Jones hit a pair of threes and a pair of free throws to put together an 8-2 run that put SAGU in command at 55-46 with 5:50 to play. The Rams chipped away and cut the deficit to one at 58-57 with a three from Shayla Moore. After a defensive stop, the Rams took the lead with a pair of free throws from Brittany White.

 

With seven seconds to play, Veronica Mergerson hit one-of-two at the line to give the Rams a 60-58 lead. Mergerson missed the second, and SAGU’s Gabby Bruner grabbed the rebound and was fouled. Bruner missed the first free throw and a lane violation was called against the Lions on the second.

 

SAGU fouled before the ensuing inbounds pass, and Moore made it a three-point game with one-of-two at the free throw line. The Lions inbounded the ball needing a three to tie, but were whistled for a travel. Octavia Mullins sealed the win with a jumper with one tick remaining on the clock.

 

Statistically the game was very tight. Texas Wesleyan outshot SAGU 37.5%-34.7%. The Rams hit 5-of-18 from beyond the arc while the Lions hit 4-of-17. Texas Wesleyan went 22-for-31 at the charity stripe and the Lions hit 20-of-28.

 

While each team had eight offensive rebounds, the Rams did lead 13-6 in second chance points. Texas Wesleyan also outscored the Lions 22-2 in bench points.

 

Mergerson paced the Rams with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Brittany White added 15 points and seven rebounds. Moore added 11 points to the win.

 

Jones (24 points, 10 rebounds) and Stephanie Hawkins (18 points) did most of the damage for SAGU.

 

The Rams will return to action on February 5, when they travel to Austin, TX, to take on Huston-Tillotson University. That game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start.