WAXAHACHIE, Texas — Texas Wesleyan University (5-4, 1-2 SAC) fell to Nelson University (6-1, 2-1 SAC) on Monday night's contest, 81-66, despite securing 11 steals and 30 points in the paint. Nelson capitalized on a 30-point third quarter and 14 three-pointers to secure the win.

The opening quarter saw Texas Wesleyan take an early lead with a balanced attack, highlighted by Kameryn Phillips' contributions in the paint. Phillips scored a layup at 7:35, followed by a free throw to put the Lady Rams ahead 7-5. Texas Wesleyan extended their lead to 17-11 with a jumper by Phillips at 3:58. The Lions responded with a three-pointer from Paris Miller at 1:54, closing the gap to 19-16. Despite their efforts, the Lions trailed by one at the end of the first quarter, with Texas Wesleyan leading 19-18.

The Lions expanded their lead in the second quarter, highlighted by Presley Wheeler's three-pointer at 9:20, assisted by Paris Miller. Texas Wesleyan's Phillips kept the visitors within striking distance by converting two free throws at 7:16 and later adding a fastbreak layup at 2:01, narrowing the gap to two points. Nelson (Texas) responded with consistent scoring from the paint, including a layup by Kate Miller at 3:55, assisted by Paris Miller. The home team secured a 32-27 advantage by the end of the quarter, with Ashley Gonzalez capping the scoring with a crucial three-pointer at 1:50, assisted by Mikah Johnson.

The Lions maintained control throughout the third quarter, extending their lead significantly with key three-point shooting and fast-break opportunities. Ashley Gonzalez led with multiple three-pointers, including one at 1:51, contributing to Nelson's 61-43 advantage at that point. Phillips kept the Lady Rams competitive by scoring inside the paint and converting free throws, narrowing the gap to 33-40 early on. Despite Texas Wesleyan's efforts, Nelson's consistent scoring, highlighted by Lauryn Scalice's fast-break layup at 2:24, solidified their lead. The quarter ended with the Lions up by 30-19, maintaining a substantial advantage going into the final quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Lions maintained control despite a strong effort from the Lady Rams. Scalice opened the quarter with a three-pointer at 9:56, pushing Nelson's lead to 65-46. Nala Richardson responded with a three-pointer and a layup, contributing significantly to Texas Wesleyan's 20-point quarter. However, Nelson's consistent scoring, including a jumper from Paris Miller at 4:07 and a fastbreak layup by Kate Miller at 0:56, secured their lead. Texas Wesleyan's defensive efforts, including Iasia Goldman's block and rebound at 4:40, were not enough to close the gap, resulting in an 81-66 victory for the Lions.

Phillips tallied 23 points and collected five rebounds, leading all scorers and adding three steals. Richardson scored 13 points and contributed three rebounds. Kennedy Holmes recorded five rebounds and added two steals. Sophia Hurtado finished with nine points and four rebounds while blocking one shot.