EDINBURG, Texas - The Southeastern Louisiana University women's basketball team secured a hard-fought 52-48 victory over UTRGV Thursday afternoon in the UTRGV Fieldhouse to tie for the most conference wins in Southland Conference history.
Southeastern (25-3, 19-0 SLC) swept UTRGV (16-14, 11-8 SLC) due its second half surge fueled by its tenacious defense.
Alexius Horne (19 points) led all scorers to close out her third consecutive game in double figures. The veteran also grabbed three rebounds, three steals and two assists against the Vaqueros to help SLU extend its 19-game winning streak. Horne shot eight-of-15 from the field and three-of-four from the free throw line to lead the charge in the second half.
Jalencia Pierre (15 points) followed up as the second Lady Lion in double figures with three steals and three assists. The junior guard finished with a solid afternoon of production, shooting seven-of-15 from the field and one-o-two from the charity stripe in the victory.
Taylor Bell (seven points) also contributed on both ends of the floor with five rebounds, two steals, and two assists in the four-point victory.
Lexi Alexander led Southeastern on the boards with eight rebounds as the Nicholls transfer also snagged three offensive rebounds.
SLU came out to a solid start in the opening minutes of the first quarter, but UTRGV quickly recovered to even the momentum on their home court. Pierre broke out the gate on a roll for Southeastern, using her quickness to score easily in transition. The Vaqueros countered as Elizabeth Romer (15 points) had a phenomenal game starting the first quarter with two made three-pointers alongside Kade Hackerott (12 point) to help end the quarter with a one-point lead. The Lady Lions showcased their physicality on the boards with six offensive rebounds in the first quarter alone. Romer connected on a shot from downtown within the last eight seconds of the first quarter to give UTRGV the advantage, 11-10.
Both teams continued to battle back and forth in a close game throughout the second quarter, seeking to take control of the game. The Lady Lions maintained their up-tempo pace in the second quarter as Pierre continued to carry the team. UTRGV held on to its momentum, shooting 31.3 percent from the field, 25.0 percent from the three-point line, and 33.3 percent from the free throw line in the second quarter. Southeastern depended on its bread and butter as it worked to break the Vaqueros' scoring run in the quarter. SLU gained an 8-4-point advantage in paint points, 4-0 edge in points off turnovers and fast break opportunities. UTRGV weathered the storm to obtain a six-point scoring run as it continued to hold on to its lead to close the second quarter, 24-22.
Both teams returned from halftime with the mindset to gain momentum early in the second half. Horne went on a six-point scoring run early in the quarter to fuel Southeastern as it intensified its defense to hold the Vaqueros scoreless for four minutes midway in the second quarter. Romer continued her terror against SLU from behind the arch with back-to-back corner three-pointers to produce a spark for UTRGV to equalize the game. The Lady Lions countered in the paint to claim a 12-6-point edge in paint points while their defense continued to raise havoc and forced the Vaqueros into seven turnovers. Horne answered the call time and time again for Southeastern to help finish the third quarter up 38-36 after a 16-12-point advantage.
UTRGV battled in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to close the small gap as Hackerott and Tierra Trotter (seven points) stepped up in an effort to defend their home court. SLU relied on their veteran as Horne scored seven points in the fourth quarter alone, refusing to let the team fall on the road. As both teams continued to battle throughout the quarter, Southeastern earned four points off four offensive rebounds in an effort to give the team extra possessions. The Lady Lions fended off UTRGV late in the quarter with a 14-12-point edge to remain undefeated and improve 19-0 in conference play.
SLU recorded 30 paint points, 18 points off turnovers, and 14 fast break points against the Vaqueros. Southeastern closed out the game shooting 33.3 percent from the field, 10.0 percent from the three-point line and 64.3 percent from the stripe.
The Lady Lions will return on the road to traveling to Corpus Christi, Texas to face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday at 2 p.m. to end conference play. Saturday's contest will be streamed on ESPN+.
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Women's Basketball, follow @LionUpWBB on X, like /SoutheasternWBB on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
TICKETS
For ticket information, please contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit
www.LionSports.net/tickets. Southeastern offers mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics has instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit
www.LionSports.net/clear.
