SHREVEPORT, LA: The Texas Wesleyan University women's basketball team (1-0) sealed a 56-46 win over LSU-Shreveport (0-1) in the season debut at The Dock on Tuesday.
 
The Pilots drained a three to start the contest, but it was the Lady Rams who engineered a hot start posting 12 unanswered points highlighted by a Falesha Fuller swish from beyond the arc. The rally 12-0 rally was capped by a Delana Lopez lay-in for a 12-3 lead that spanned seven minutes of game time. The Pilots cut the lead to 12-8 before the first quarter of the season came to a close.
 
The Lady Rams started the second quarter with an 8-1 clip capped on an Onyesonam Nolisa second chance opportunity to extend the lead to 20-9 with 7:37 remaining in the half. Lopez picked up a block on the defensive end and Nolisa hit her under the basket on the offensive end for a pretty transition layup to make it a 27-13 game. Katelynn Threats sunk a two-pointer before swiping a ball that set up another Lopez two-point shot to end the half up 35-19.
 
The Ram defense simply overwhelmed the 25th ranked team in the NAIA. Wesleyan notched three blocks and eight steals as team in the first half of play.
 
LSU-Shreveport fired back with a 6-0 run in the second half capped by a Courtney Randle three-pointer that cut the lead to 37-26. Texas Wesleyan stopped the run with a Nolisa splash in the paint, and Threats added a two-pointer to take a 42-28 advantage with 3:37 left in the third quarter. The two teams could only muster five points in the remaining time and the Rams went into fourth quarter with a 44-31 edge.
 
The Lady Rams built a nice lead and it was a simple maintenance job the rest of the way as Wesleyan took the first eight points of the fourth quarter to make it a 52-31 lead. LSU-Shreveport battled back and outscored the Rams 15-12 in the last quarter, but it was not enough as Wesleyan controlled the game from the tip with a 56-46 win.
 
"This was a game where rebounding and defense made the difference," commented head coach Bill Franey after the road win, "Going on the road and beating a ranked team is a great way to begin the season."
 
TWU shot 37 percent from the field, while holding LSU-Shreveport to only 30 percent shooting. The Rams also posted a 50-40 rebound advantage over their opponent. Wesleyan scored most of their points in the paint, racking up 32.
 
Threats led the offensive attack with a double-double, leading all players with 19 points and tacking on 14 boards. Nolisa also earned a double-double behind 10 points and 11 rebounds. Lopez knocked down 15 points, adding seven rebounds in the win.
 
The Lady Rams will head to Waxahachie, TX to play in the SAGU classic two day tournament starting on Friday, November 6 when they take on the University of St. Thomas-Houston on Neutral Ground. That contest is set for a 6:00 pm start.