FORT WORTH - For nearly 12 minutes of game action Thursday night at the Sid Richardson Center, Texas Wesleyan Women's Basketball (10-15, 9-8 SAC) refused to let Southwestern Christian University (10-13, 7-10 SAC) sweep the season series. The Lady Rams got the win 62-42, but how they got there was the extraordinary part of the story.

Up 40-38 with 4:06 to play in the third quarter, the Eagles came up empty on their next 18 possessions - 0-of-9 from the floor with nine turnovers and no offensive rebounds as Texas Wesleyan went on a 20-0 run that expanded their lead to 22, 60-38, with 2:22 to go.

Finally with 1:50 to go in the fourth frame, freshman Faith Castaneda popped off the bench for her first bucket of the night to snap the streak of empty trips for Southwestern Christian - that's what it took. 

By then of ourse, it was too late and the Lady Rams had secured a better grip on the No. 7 seed in the conference tournament (if the tournament started today). The Lady Rams are now just one game back of John Brown, which they swept already this go-around.

TXWES' crippling defense has now held Southwestern Christian to 60 points or less three straight trips to Fort Worth. The Rams were 26th in the country in scoring defense coming in to Thursday night's contest (61.3 points per game allowed), a number that will only get more impressive with a 42-point lockdown in the mix with the rest of the top defenses in the nation.

Lexi Burns led the way with 16 points, scoring for everywhere on the floor (2-of-4 inside the three-point line, 2-for-4 outside the three-point line, 6-of-6 from the charity stripe). Her six steals were a season high. 

Evie Whorley chipped in 11 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Chrystal Ngawuchu added eight points and four boards with two blocks. Nicole Gleason scored seven with four rebounds and two takeaways.

Adrianna Davis provided valuable minutes off the bench with six points and two rebounds in 13 minutes. The Rams' bench outscored the Eagles 20-8.

The Lady Rams hit 16-of-17 free throws, a program record for free throw percentage in a game, topping their 12-of-13 hit shots from the line against Incarnate Word on November 16, 2013. TXWES scored 21 points off of 23 Eagle turnovers and crashed the boards to the tune of a 37-22 advantage.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Lady Rams face a huge test in Oklahoma City where the No. 12 Stars have been on a tear, winners of ten in a row. Tip-off is Saturday at 2 p.m. from the Sooner State.