KINGSVILLE, Texas (Dec. 1, 2016) – A 30-25 halftime lead for Texas Woman's University was erased by Texas A&M-Kingsville as the Pioneers were outscored 25-9 in the third quarter leading to a 67-55 loss to open Lone Star Conference play Thursday night inside the Gil E. Steinke Physical Education Center.
 
Alexis Nezianya scored a team-high 15 points, while Cienna Rodriguez and Grace Mitchell each tallied 10. The Pioneers (5-2, 0-1 Lone Star) were unable to produce another torrid shooting night from the field as they did on Saturday in the win at Oklahoma Christian, as TWU connected on only 36-percent of their tries and hit just 4-of-20 from deep, their lowest output of the season. The loss snapped a seven-game Pioneer win streak over the Javelinas (4-2, 1-1 Lone Star) dating to the 2012-13 season.
 
TAMUK opened the scoring with a three-pointer less than a minute into the contest, and pushed the lead to 11-6 on a layup midway through the first quarter. Nezianya and Kara Mitchell each posted a score in the paint to bring the Pioneers within one, and KJ Stastny drained a three to hand TWU its first lead of the contest at the three-minute mark of the first quarter.
 
In the second, Rodriguez hit another Pioneer triple for an 18-13 advantage, but the Javelinas put up six straight points to reclaim the lead. TAMUK held a 25-23 edge with three minutes remaining until the half, but TWU closed the second quarter on five points from Kara Mitchell and a pair from Grace Mitchell for a 30-25 Pioneer lead.
 
Andrea Mapua hit a layup to begin the second half that preceded a five-minute TWU scoring drought, and it was a total of seven minutes before the Pioneers secured another field goal to allow the Javelinas to surge ahead, 40-36. TWU closed the third quarter trailing 50-39.
 
A three-point play by Grace Mitchell midway through the final period closed the Pioneers to within 54-47, but TAMUK responded with a layup and three-pointer to increase the lead to 59-47 with just over four minutes to play.  A bucket by Nezianya cut the margin to 10 with 3:48 on the clock, but the Javelinas were able to finish off TWU for the conference victory.
 
The Pioneers travel to No. 8 Angelo State Saturday for a 6 p.m. matchup.