LAWTON, Okla. (Jan. 20, 2018) - Alexis Nezianya secured a steal, layup, free throw and defensive rebound in the final minute for Texas Woman's University on the way to her seventh double-double of the season in a 59-57 win at Cameron Saturday afternoon inside Aggie Gym.
 
A free throw by Bri'anna Gray broke a 55-55 tie with 68 seconds to play before the Aggies (7-11, 5-5 LSC) hit two from the line to go up 57-56 with 28 ticks remaining. Head Coach Beth Jillson called a timeout, and on the ensuing play Nezianya completed a drive from the top of the key for a 58-57 edge. Cameron narrowly missed a layup on the other end as Nezianya grabbed the board and was fouled with three seconds left. The Aggies heaved up a final shot from halfcourt, but it fell way short for the TWU (7-9, 4-6 LSC) win.
 
Nezianya posted game-highs of 16 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks for the Pioneers. Whitney Apari scored 15, and KJ Stastny reached double-figures with 11.
 
TWU began the game with field goals from Gray and Nezianya before the Aggies came back to take an 8-7 lead six minutes in. A Cameron three-pointer upped the margin to 15-10 as the Pioneers closed the quarter with a trio of free throws to trail by two.
 
Gray opened the second period with a bucket, this time finishing a left-handed floater in the lane to knot the game at 15-all. A baseline jumper by Apari gave the lead back to TWU at 19-18, but the Aggies countered with two field goals. Stastny drilled a three from the left wing on a kickout from Nezianya, and Ma'K'La Woods found Nezianya underneath just before the shot clock expired for a 27-24 Pioneer advantage.
 
A short corner jumper by Apari started the second half to put TWU up 30-24 and continued into a 9-4 run capped by a three and jumper from Stastny to hand the Pioneers their largest lead of the game at 39-28. Stastny found a wide open Woods underneath with just under three minutes to play in the third to maintain the 11-point margin before Cameron finished with four free throws to pull within 43-36.
 
The Aggies made a layup and three-pointer to decrease the deficit to 47-41 a minute into the final period, but Cienna Rodriguez hit a trey from the left baseline and Stastny completed a drive from the right side to extend the lead back to 11. Cameron answered with a 9-1 run to close the score to 53-50 with just over three minutes on the clock. Following a TWU timeout, Rodriguez got the ball to Nezianya for a score in the paint, but the Aggies converted two free throws and a three pointer to make it 55-all.
 
Jillson said, "Great team win on the road. I thought we were really locked in, especially defensively. Alexis had some key rebounds and clutch shots down the stretch to help us seal the win."
 
The Pioneers travel to Texas A&M-Kingsville Thursday for a 7 p.m. contest.