PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University women's basketball team rode a career night from freshman guard Paola Abad Prieto, who set season highs in numerous categories as the Wildcats locked down Texas A&M-Texarkana in the second half and pulled away for a 77-66 win over the Eagles Saturday afternoon at H.O. West Fieldhouse.
 
While Abad Prieto opened the scoring to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead off a nice assist from Claire Borot, the Wildcats went cold as TAMUT scored the next eight points to open an 8-2 lead before Miya McKinney finally ended the run. The two teams traded baskets to a 12-6 Eagle advantage until a layup by Kayla Kinney sent the Wildcats on a 10-0 run. That run was capped by an Abad Prieto three to put LCU up 16-12 with three minutes left in the first quarter. TAMUT answered with a 7-0 run to reclaim the lead, but the Wildcats scored the period's final five points to take a 21-19 lead into the second quarter.
 
After TAMUT retook the lead by scoring the first bucket of the second quarter, the Wildcats went on a 14-4 run, started by a pair of Kieyoomia Benally free throws and capped by another Abad Prieto layup to give LCU its largest lead of the first half at 35-26 with five minutes left before halftime. While three-pointers by Benally and Jordan Barfield helped keep the Wildcats away for a while, back-to-back threes by the Eagles lowered the LCU lead down to 41-39 at halftime.
 
TAMUT continued the run at the start of the third quarter, scoring seven of the period's first nine points, which gave the Eagles a 46-43 lead. But that's where the Wildcats took over, going on a 14-0 run that Abad Prieto started with a jumper and was capped when Miya McKinney converted a three-point play that put LCU up 57-46 with less than a minute left in the period. The Wildcats led 57-47 at the end of the third.
 
Miya McKinney's floater in the lane to open the fourth quarter put the Wildcats up 12. However, the Eagles tried to get back into it with a 10-4 push to cut the lead down to six. Up seven at 66-59, the Wildcats put the game away as Kayla Kinney was fouled while shooting a three-pointer. Kinney made all three ensuing free throws, starting a 9-1 LCU run that was capped by another pair of free throws by Kinney that gave the Wildcats its largest lead of the contest at 76-60 with just 31 second left.
 
Paola Abad Prieto set single game highs in points, 29, field goals made, 11, three-pointers made, four, steals, five, and rebounds, six, to help lead LCU to the win. Kieyoomia Benally was the Wildcats lone other double-figure scorer with 17 points to go along with seven assists. Miya McKinney flirted with a double-double with nine points and seven rebounds.
 
LCU hit 45.9% from the field in the contest, bolstered by the defense that caused 26 Eagle turnovers, 17 of which were the results of live-ball steals. That led to a 33-20 LCU advantage in points off turnovers. LCU also outscored the Eagles in the lane, 34-24.
 
The Wildcats (8-4, 2-1 RRAC) head out on the road for the first time in conference play, heading up I-49 to Shreveport on Thursday to take on LSU Shreveport. Tip-off for Thursday's game against the Pilots (9-5, 2-0 RRAC) is set for 5:30 P.M. at The Dock on the LSUS campus.