CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Southeastern Louisiana University women's basketball team suffered its first Southland Conference loss 54-52 against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Saturday afternoon in the American Bank Center.
Southeastern (25-4, 19-1 SLC) fell by two-points to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (15-15, 7-12 SLC) to close out regular season with its only loss in league play on the road.
Alexius Horne (16 points) led all scorers as the lone Lady Lion in double figures with five rebounds, four assists, and three steals. The veteran finished seven-of-15 from the field and six-of-six from the free throw line.
Jalencia Pierre (nine points) followed up to help fueled a spark of momentum for SLU throughout the game. Pierre closed the contest shooting two-of-nine from the field and five-of-six from the charity stripe while dishing out two assists.
Tyreona Sibley (eight points) provided energy off the bench for Southeastern with five rebounds and three steals. The freshman stepped up, shooting four-of-five from the field, but Southeastern could not seal the deal on the road.
SLU ended the game tied for the best conference record in SLC history, standing 19-1. Stephen F. Austin last achieved this great feat in 2002 to also hold possession of the record.
The Lady Lions came out to a slow start in the opening minutes of the game as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi scored the first six points of the contest. The Islanders obtained an 11-2-scoring run before the first timeout call to fuel a huge run of momentum on its home court early in the first quarter. Southeastern's offensive woes continued midway in the quarter as the team found itself in a large deficit. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi continued to extend its lead, shooting 50.0 percent from the field and 80.0 percent from the three-point line. SLU caught a break late in the first quarter through gaps in the opponent's defense to dig themselves out of the hole. The Islanders closed the first quarter with an 20-11-point advantage over the Lady Lions led by Tymberlin Criswell (14 points).
Southeastern came out with a different intensity in the second quarter, reliant on its defense to help close the gap in Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's lead. The Lady Lions forced multiple turnovers in the quarter and remained aggressive to weather the storm. The Islanders fought to hold onto its lead, but SLU gained its first lead of the contest late in the second quarter to shift the tide of momentum. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi battled as Nabaweeyah McGill (10 points) became hot from behind the arch, but Southeastern pulled ahead by shooting 35.0 percent from the field and 83.3 percent from the free throw line to end the first half up 30-28.
The Islanders returned in the third quarter with the mindset to regain their lead as Paige Allen (10 points) woke up in the opening minutes of the second half. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi worked to claim extra possessions offensively as Monae Duffy (four points) caused problems for the Lady Lions on the boards with seven offensive rebounds in the quarter alone. Both teams continued to fight with the score tied for four minutes midway in the third quarter. Southeastern fell into a slump late in the third quarter as the Islanders turned it up a notch to secure the lead and turn the momentum in their favor.
SLU recovered early in the fourth quarter, but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi refused to back down on its senior day. Horne continued to carry Southeastern as it heavily relied on its veteran down the stretch to keep the team within the fight. The Islanders battled to limit opportunities for the Lady Lions offensively while they brought the game down to the wire. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi gained a huge spark of momentum toward the end of the game as possessions didn't go in Southeastern's favor. In the final minute of the contest, the Islanders held the lead but SLU forced a turnover that allowed the Lady Lions one last shot attempt in the last few seconds of the game. SLU came close to embarking history, but ended the hard-fought battle down by two-points.
In conclusion of conference play, Southeastern will travel to Lake Charles, La. to compete in the Southland Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Championship March 10-13 in the Legacy Center. SLU holds the No. 1 seed in the tournament securing a two-game bye. The Lady Lions will await the winner of Northwestern State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Monday, March 10 before playing against the winner of UIW and Monday's game. Wednesday's game will be televised on ESPN+ and can be heard online at
www.LionSports.net/ListenLive.
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.
