The Lady Buffs returned to their home court on Jan. 26 after an up-and-down past few games to take on the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals. In the end, the basketball team kept their undefeated streak against UIW alive by winning 67-60 over the team.

UIW put a tally on the board in the first 40 seconds into the game but Joni Unruh put WTAMU on the board soon after and the team used the score as momentum for the rest of the half. The Cardinals only pulled within one point two times in the half with the Lady Buffs getting a 10-point lead with 8:28 left in the first.

WT left the court at half time with a 32-19 lead, shooting over 39 percent with the Cardinals shooting just 24.1 percent.

In the second half, the Cardinals would fight back, going on a 7-0 run early on. The Lady Buffs would keep fending off the team, keeping at least a five-point lead until the last minute of the game. The Cardinals tried to stage a comeback, pulling within four with 58 seconds left. But the team was forced to foul multiple times in the final minute, letting WT end the game with a score of 67-60.“I thought that we were certainly determined,” Head Coach Krista Gerlich said. “I felt that our kids kept it together and fought hard and I’m really proud of them. I thought that our performance at the free throw line was excellent.”

Joni Unruh’s 21 points led the game with a 21-point effort, just two points shy of tying her career-high point total. Unruh also recorded three steals, taking her career total to 267 and giving her sole possession of fifth-place on WT’s all-time steal list.

“I’m very honored by [her steals total]. It’s just something I’ve really worked on for the years I’ve been here and I’m really proud of myself on defense. It’s just one thing I always concentrate on when I’m not off the basketball court,” Unruh said.

The win took the team to an overall record of 10-8 and Lone Star Conference record of 8-4. The Lady Buffs will return to the court in just two days to take on Texas A & M-Kingsville at the First United Bank Center at 4 p.m. on Jan 28.