Box Score

AUSTIN, TX:  The Texas Wesleyan University women’s basketball team (24-6, 19-5 RRAC) closed out the regular season with a 58-54 win at Huston-Tillotson University (6-22, 6-18) on Monday.
 
In the first half, the Lady Rams raced out to a 15-7 lead only to see HTU lock up defensively for four and half minutes.  During that time, Tillotson ran off 11 unanswered points to lead 18-15 with 6:23 to play.  Two possessions later, Brittany White knocked down her third three-pointer of the period to put Texas Wesleyan back on top 20-18, and TWU went on to lead 23-20 at the break.
 
Texas Wesleyan quickly opened a 10-point lead, 36-26, in the second half, but an inspired HTU, team still battling for the final playoff berth in the Red River Athletic Conference, would not go quietly.  HTU trimmed the lead back to 43-39 with nine minutes to play.  With just under three minutes to play, Tillotson made it a two-point game at 53-51, but White answered with another three-pointer.
 
With 39 seconds to play, HTU’s LaKesha Taylor knocked down a triple to bring her team back within two at 56-54, but Raven Smith converted a layup on the other end to seal the 58-54 victory.
 
For the game, Texas Wesleyan outshot Huston-Tillotson 37%-32% from the field and landed six three pointers to HTU’s one.  Texas Wesleyan also held a slight 40-36 rebounding edge.
 
White led all scorers with 22 points while going 4-for-6 from long range and 8-for-11 from the field.  Octavia Mullins added her 18th double-double of the season with 14 points and 16 rebounds.
 
Huston-Tillotson was led by Kandice Smith’s 19 points and 10 rebounds.
 
At 19-5 in conference play, the Lady Rams will be the third seed in this weekend’s RRAC Tournament in Waxahachie, TX.  The Lady Rams will play sixth seeded Jarvis Christian College at 8:00 a.m. at Southwestern Assemblies of God University’s Full Life Center.