PINEVILLE, La. – The Louisiana Christian University women's basketball team pulled away early with a 13-0 run, led by 18 after the first quarter, and never looked back to pick up its first conference win of the season, defeating the Southwest Mustangs 77-47 Saturday afternoon on the Gene Rushing Court at H.O. West Fieldhouse.
 
Kylei Leblanc got the scoring started for Louisiana Christian (2-15, 1-10 RRAC) with a lay-up, to which Southwest (6-12, 2-10 RRAC) answered with a basket-and-one on its first possession of the game to take its only lead of it at 3-2.

That lead didn't last too long as the Wildcats pushed the ball and Jakiya Thompson found Carlea Owens who got to the rim and laid it in on the fastbreak to give LCU the lead back and start the 13-0 run. Leblanc got a steal and went the distance for a lay-up with five minutes left in the first quarter to end the run, giving LCU a 15-3 lead and the Wildcats would not be threatened for the remainder of the contest.
 
Leading 20-9 in the waning moments of the first period, a three-pointer by Alaiah Jarrell, a lay-up by Kaitlyn Antilley, and a pair of free throws by Jarrell accounted for the 7-0 Wildcat run to end the period as LCU took a 27-9 lead into the second quarter.
 
With LCU in possession to open the quarter, Leblanc hit a jumper in the paint to give the Wildcats their first 20-point advantage of the contest at 29-9, capping a 9-0 LCU run. The lead progressively grew, hitting 30 points for the first time as Jarrell scored while being bumped, converting the and-one opportunity to make the score 44-14 Wildcats with 4:07 left before halftime.
 
LCU's first half lead peaked at 32 points as Owens made her own and-one opportunity to give the Wildcats a 50-18 lead with 2:39 left until the break. Louisiana Christian led 50-20 as the two teams went to the locker room.
 
With the Wildcats cruising in the second half, the Mustangs cut the LCU lead down to 25 points several times throughout the third period, the last at 62-37 with 2:35 remaining. Leblanc split a pair of free throws to kick off an 8-0 LCU push with all eight points scored by either Leblanc or Owens. A mid-range jumper by Owens found the bottom of the night to give the Wildcats their largest lead of the contest at 33 points, 70-37, with just seconds remaining in the quarter. LCU led 70-40 heading to the final 10 minutes of play.
 
USW cut the deficit down to 25 points one last time in the fourth, but the Wildcats scored the final five points to close out the 30-point victory, get into the win column in Red River Athletic Conference play, and end the 12-game losing streak.
 
After 122 wins as the head coach of the LCU men's basketball team over nine seasons, Reni Mason picked up his first triumph in this stint as interim head coach of the women's team after taking over following the game against LSU Shreveport.
 
Owens got her third double-double of the season, scoring 17 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. She also had three steals, blocked a shot, and had an assist.
 
Leblanc got her 10^th double-double of the season, third in a row, and seventh in her last nine games with 16 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. She also stuffed the stat sheet with six assists, six steals, and blocked four Mustang shots.
 
Amiyah Simpkins scored 12 points, hitting a couple of three-pointers, and grabbed five rebounds while dishing out a couple of assists.
 
M'Kiyiah Olivier came off the bench to score nine points and give out four assists while also getting a block.
 
LCU shot 52.8 percent overall and 54.5 percent from three in the first half, but cooled down late, finishing at 39.4 percent overall and 38.1 percent from distance. The Wildcat defense held USW to just 27.7 percent shooting overall and 20 percent from deep.
 
The Wildcats look to keep the run of good play going on Thursday as Xavier makes the drive up from the Crescent City. Tip-off of Thursday's contest against the Gold Nuggets (9-7, 6-5 RRAC) is set for 5:30 p.m. on Gene Rushing Court at H.O. West Fieldhouse.