TEXARKANA, Texas – The Louisiana Christian University women's basketball team got the best day of the season from Carlea Owens, but it wasn't enough as the Wildcats fell 74-62 to the Texas A&M-Texarkana Eagles Saturday afternoon at the Patterson Student Center.
 
Louisiana Christian (2-19, 1-14 RRAC) never led as Texas A&M-Texarkana (13-7, 12-3 RRAC) scored the game's first six points before Owens scored at the rim to get the Wildcats on the board.
 
LCU was able to keep it close throughout most of the first half as a Kylei Leblanc three-pointer cut down the deficit to two points at 20-18 with 6:40 left before halftime. However, the Eagles closed out the half on a 14-5 run to get their first double digit lead of the contest at 34-23 right at the halftime buzzer.
 
Leblanc hit Owens who cashed in on a jumper in the paint to open the scoring in the third quarter, getting the TAMUT lead back under double figures at 34-25. The Eagles answered by scoring 11 of the next 12 points to take their largest lead of the contest at 45-26 with 5:15 remaining in the period.
 
After both teams went two-for-two at the free throw line to make it 47-28 TAMUT, Leblanc got out in transition and scored on a lay-up which started an 11-2 LCU run. The run culminated with Amiyah Simpkins hitting a three-pointer to make it a 10-point game at 49-39 with 30 seconds left in the third.
 
Trailing by 11 to start the fourth, Leblanc got to the rim again, scoring on a lay-up to get the deficit under 10 at 51-42. TAMUT scored the next four points, only to see Owens and Kateria Gooden answer with buckets of their own to get it to single digits one last time, 55-46, with 7:40 left in the contest.
 
A&M-Texarkana responded with a 10-1 run to push the advantage back up to 18 with 4:30 remaining, ending any hopes of a Wildcat comeback.
 
Owens was all over the floor for the Wildcats in the contest, either tying or setting a new season high in points, 23, rebounds, 13, blocks, six, free throws made, seven, and assists, four. The points-rebounds double-double was her fourth of the season. She hit eight of her 13 field goal attempts in the contest and had a steal as well.
 
Leblanc was five-of-nine from the field, including hitting her only three-point try in the contest, on her way to 12 points. She also grabbed five rebounds, dished out a pair of assists, blocked a shot, and came up with a steal.
 
Gooden led the bench unit with nine points and four rebounds, hitting four of the eight shots she took in the game.
 
M'Kiyiah Olivier added seven points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and a steal from the bench as well.
 
The Wildcats come home for four of the next five, starting on Thursday as Jarvis Christian comes to Pineville. Tip-off of Thursday's contest against the Bulldogs (3-18, 2-13 RRAC) is set for 5:30 p.m. on Gene Rushing Court at H.O. West Fieldhouse.