SAN ANTONIO – The Northwestern State women’s basketball team struggled to find consistency with the basketball in hand on Saturday, leading to a 66-53 loss to UIW.
The Lady Demons (9-8, 6-3) produced multiple scoring spurts throughout the game, but inopportune turnovers and missed shots around the rim kept them from maintaining pressure on the Cardinals (8-8, 6-3).
“We were not the better team today,” head coach Anna Nimz said. “We did not play well together and unfortunately UIW wanted it more. We got an unfortunate but good wake up call. We will watch it. Feel it. Commit to growing and be better for it.”
After turnover-prone skids sunk Northwestern behind by as much as 12 in the first half, a 12-3 burst ending the half and opening the third quarter tied the game at 33 and again at 35 early in the period.
But the sloppiness of the first minutes of the game and the inconsistent offense were fatal flaws from that point forward. UIW outscored NSU 31-18 the rest of the game as 11 second-half turnovers and 12 total missed layups kept the deficit at double digits most of the half. A 12-1 Cardinal run late in the third gave them the comfortable lead they carried the reamainder of the way.
NSU turned the ball over 18 times leading to 20 UIW points.
The Demons finished with four players in double digits for the third straight game and the fourth time in conference play this season.
Vernell Atamah missed a double-double by one rebound with 12 points and nine boards while setting a career high with three blocks. Valentine led the way with 15 while Tiara Abron put in 11 and Stephie Salumu contributed 11 off the bench.
The Lady Demons finish the first of their three-game conference road swings Thursday by traveling to Stephen F. Austin. They are home Saturday for a doubleheader with the men against East Texas A&M-Commerce.
