PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University women's basketball team looked well on its way to closing out a win over Mobile with a 12-point lead and less than five minutes remaining, but a late run by the Rams tied the game to force overtime and late turnovers proved costly in an 84-81 loss to the Rams Monday night at H.O. West Fieldhouse.
 
Mobile used a 9-0 run in the first quarter to break a 6-6 tie and put the Rams up 15-6, only for the Wildcats to finish the quarter scoring nine of the final 13 points in the period to end the first quarter with the Rams up 19-15. Mobile pushed the lead back up to eight points at 23-15 to start the second quarter before a 9-0 Wildcats run put LCU back on top for the first time since 6-4 as Ke'Maesha St. Andre hit a three-pointer to make it 24-23 Wildcats with 6:40 remaining before halftime. From that point, the two teams traded the lead numerous times until Mobile scored on a put-back lay-up right before the buzzer to take a 36-33 lead to the break.
 
After the Rams just a jumper to go to open the second half scoring, the Wildcats scored eight straight to retake the lead as a Miya McKinney jumper in the paint put LCU up and a pair of free throws by St. Andre made it 41-38 Wildcats with seven minutes left in the third quarter. After the two teams traded baskets over the next couple minutes, a lay-up by Noa Fernandez Fuentes started an 11-0 LCU run that appeared to bust the game open when Amiya Dartez hit a three with 35 seconds left in the quarter to make the score 57-45. Mobile got the final bucket before the quarter ended and LCU took a 57-47 lead to the final ten minutes.
 
But a slow start to the fourth quarter allowed Mobile to cut the LCU lead down to five points with less than seven minutes left in the game. But a Miya McKinney lay-up started another 7-0 push for the Wildcats to increase the lead back out to 12 points at 64-52 off a Kayla Kinney lay-up with 4:40 left in regulation. But the Wildcats went cold, and the Rams went on a 14-2 run the rest of the way, including the tying three-pointer with ten seconds left to force overtime.
 
The Wildcats got out to a four-point lead three times during the overtime period, the latest following a pair of made free throws by Miya McKinney with 1:33 left that gave LCU a 78-74 lead. While a 5-0 run by Mobile put the Rams back ahead with less than 30 seconds left, the Wildcats got a boost as Kayla Kinney scored while being fouled to go back in front with 21 seconds left as Kinney completed the three-point play. But Mobile got the lead back in similar fashion, completing their own three-point play with 16 seconds left. LCU had two chances to tie or retake the lead, but turnovers on both possessions ended the Wildcats night on the short side of the scoreboard.
 
Five Wildcats scored in double figures on a balanced scoring night by LCU. Noa Fernandez Fuentes and Kieyoomia Benally each scored 16 points to lead the team. Fernandez Fuentes added six rebounds and four assists while Benally came up with five steals. Kayla Kinney filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, five rebounds, and three steals. Miya McKinney and Ke'Maesha St. Andre each finished with ten points. McKinney was on the precipice of a double-double with nine rebounds to go with her ten points along with three steals. The Wildcats hit on 40.3% of their shots and out-shot the Rams as Mobile hit on just 37.7% from the field. Where Mobile made up ground was on the boards, especially offensively, as the Rams held a 20-7 advantage in second chance points.
 
The Wildcats (3-2) look to rebound following Thanksgiving in New Orleans against a top-25 team in Loyola. Tip-off against the 22^nd-ranked Wolf Pack (3-1) is set for 1:00 P.M. at Tulane University's Avron B. Fogelman Arena at Devlin Fieldhouse.