PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University women's basketball team got the third 20-plus point game of the season from Kylei Leblanc, but a 15-0 run to start the fourth quarter upended the Wildcats' upset hopes in a 79-72 loss to the North Texas-Dallas Trailblazers Thursday night at Gene Rushing Court at H.O. West Fieldhouse.
 
Louisiana Christian (1-15, 0-10 RRAC) leaned on its defense throughout the first half to get the lead and keep it throughout most of the contest. In the first 20 minutes, the Wildcats forced UNT-Dallas (8-5, 7-4 RRAC) into 20 turnovers, converting that into 18 LCU points. It was one of those turnovers that led to M'Kiyiah Olivier hitting a three-pointer with 5:10 left in the second quarter to give the Wildcats a 25-16 lead, LCU's largest in the contest.
 
None of LCU's 10 turnovers in the first half turned into points for the Trailblazers, helping the Wildcats out to a 40-35 lead at the break.
 
However, in the second half, the script flipped with LCU committing 17 turnovers while UNT-Dallas added 10 more turnovers to its total. The Trailblazers scored 23 points off turnovers in the second 20 minutes while the Wildcats tallied six more in that category in the second half.
 
A Carlea Owens jumper in transition put the Wildcats up 56-50 with just less than a minute left in the third quarter, but that's where the Trailblazers started their game-altering run, scoring the final basket of the period before starting the fourth with 15-straight, making it a 17-0 run to turn the six-point LCU edge to an 11-point Trailblazer lead at 67-56 with 7:15 left in the game.
 
Louisiana Christian had one last run in them, scoring 13 of the next 18 points to cut the deficit down to just three as Owens scored on a lay-up with two minutes left to make it 72-69. A UNT-Dallas basket and foul off a Wildcat turnover proved to be the end of LCU's comeback bid.
 
Leblanc picked up her ninth double-double of the season, second in a row, and sixth in the last eight games with 20 points and 12 rebounds. It was also her third game this season scoring at least 20 points while also flirting with a triple-double with eight steals. She also blocked three shots and had three assists in the contest.
 
Owens had one of his best scoring days of the season, putting up 19 points to go with three rebounds, three steals, and a pair of blocks.
 
Amiyah Simpkins hit four three-pointers on her way to 14 points while grabbing six rebounds, coming up with four steals, and gave out an assist.
 
Maddison Carey finished the night with 10 points, six assists, two rebounds, and a steal.
 
The Wildcats continue their four-game homestand on Saturday as the University of the Southwest makes the trip from Hobbs, N.M. to Pineville. Tip-off of Saturday's contest against the Mustangs (6-11, 2-9 RRAC) is set for 1 p.m. on Gene Rushing Court at H.O. West Fieldhouse.