HOUSTON, TEXAS (Dec. 5, 2011) -- The Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) women's basketball team traveled to Houston on Saturday to take on the University of St. Thomas (UST). In the first meeting between the two teams, the Lady Saints came out ahead with a 76-67 win. The victory improves OLLU's record to 5-2 overall and 2-1 in the Red River Athletic Conference, while St. Thomas drops to 4-4 on the season and 2-2 in the conference.

The Saints took an early lead before the Lady Celts tied the game at seven with 15 minutes remaining in the half. The two teams tied three more times at 12, 14 and 16, before St. Thomas pulled ahead to lead 21-17 with eight minutes left in the half.  The Saints then went on a 12-0 run to lead 32-23. Freshman Arlene Cisneros scored from the paint to give the Saints the 34-28 lead at the half. She along with Chelsea Solis led the Saints in scoring with eight points each, while Alisha Crump had five rebounds.

 

The Saints took control in the second half, never allowing the Lady Celts to pull ahead. The closest St. Thomas came was at the eighth minute, when the score was 52-49. The Saints' biggest lead of the half was 11 points.

Nashae Owens was OLLU's leading scorer with 15 points. She also added seven rebounds and one assist and block. Solis finished with 12 points, Cisneros with 11 and Stacey Darnley with 10. Lead scorer for St. Thomas was Amber Francis-Arceneaux, who ended with 14 points.

The Saints shot 37 percent from the field, 32 percent from 3-point range and 67 percent from the free-throw line, compared to St. Thomas, who shot 37 percent from the field, 27 percent from 3-point range and 48 percent from the free throw line. OLLU had 19 turnovers and forced 22.

OLLU will face Jarvis Christian College on Monday at 5:30 p.m. In 2009, the Lady Bulldogs beat the Saints 62-68 and 65-70, and the Saints eliminated them in the conference quarterfinals, 75-66. In 2010, the Saints won both games, 91-58 and 98-78.