ARKADELPHIA, Ark. (Nov. 25, 2023) – A slow first quarter start plagues the Pioneers, as the Texas Woman's basketball team falls in a non-conference contest to Henderson State.
 
TWU (6-1) lost to HSU (4-2) on Saturday afternoon on the road, 71-69. The game marked the Pioneers' final game before opening Lone Star Conference action next week. The Pioneers will play one more non-conference contest in the regular season against Harding on Tuesday, Dec. 19.
 
In the loss, the Pioneers were led by Ashley Ingram, who recorded her second double-double of the season and 15th of her career. Ingram proved to be the difference maker down the stretch, as she and the Pioneers fought to claim the lead over the Reddies. She finished the game with a game high 24 points and 14 rebounds. The rebounds also marked a season high for Ingram, and the junior also dished out a season high five assists.
 
Joining Ingram in double-digits was Leila Patel – the only other Pioneer to score in double figures, as she finished with a career high 23 points and seven rebounds.
 
Narrowly missing the double-figure mark was Jada Celsur, who finished the game with nine points, five rebounds and four assists.
 
TWU won the rebound battle by one, 43-42. Scout Huffman also topped the leader board for TWU in rebounds with six in 40 minutes of action.
 
On defense, the Pioneers forced the Reddies into 17 turnovers and scored a game high 11 points off those turnovers. Averee Kleinhans and Celsur led TWU on defense with three steals each, which marked a season high for Kleinhans.
 
Despite only turning the ball over eight times (their second lowest of the season), TWU struggled to find a scoring rhythm on Saturday and limit the scoring of HSU.
 
The Reddies shot a season high 44% from the three point line, and also beat the Pioneers in bench points with 20. Although TWU recorded their most offensive rebounds of the season at 16, they scored just 11 second chance points, while HSU finished the night with 15.
 
From the field, TWU shot their lowest percentage from the field this season, 32.8%.
 
In the first quarter, the Pioneers got off to a slow start and dug a deficit, which would prove difficult to climb out of throughout the remainder of the game. TWU would not score until the 6:13 mark on the clock, when Patel connected on a free throw, with the Reddies opening the game on a 10-0 run. Huffman scored the Pioneers' first field goal of the first quarter to try to ignite the offense with 5:10 on the clock, 13-3. The Reddies would continue their scoring barrage in the first, as they closed the quarter with the 13-point advantage, 23-10.
 
The Pioneers would battle in the second quarter to cut the deficit down. TWU would outscore the Reddies 17-11 in the second to head into halftime trailing by just seven, 34-27.
 
While getting it under 10 prior to halftime was key for the Pioneers, HSU quickly pushed their advantage back up to double-digits in the opening minute of action, 39-27. Nevertheless, the Pioneers kept pushing.
 
With 3:08 left in the quarter, Gionna Carr would make a jumper to cut the deficit to four, 44-40. Ingram would follow up Carr's basket with a two of her own to bring the Pioneers within two, 44-42 with 1:52 remaining in the third quarter. Despite cutting the lead to two, TWU was unable to limit the scoring of the Reddies, as they closed the third quarter with a 4-0 run to head into the final quarter of action up by seven, 51-44.
 
TWU would find their first tie of the game in the fourth quarter off a three by Patel with 6:42 on the clock, 53-53. HSU quickly broke the tie with a made three. The Reddies would hold the lead after that, pushing their advantage to as much as nine, 64-55, with 3:45 remaining the game.
 
Throughout the remaining three minutes, TWU would cut their deficit to one point three times, but could never overcome and find the lead. With nine seconds left, Ashley Ingram would get the offensive rebound off her own miss and complete the put back to tie the game, 69-69.
 
With the score tied, a TWU foul would send the Reddies to the free throw line and two makes sealed the game, 71-69, as the Pioneers lost their first game of the season.
 
TWU will be back in action against Midwestern State for an LSC matchup on Thursday, Nov. 30 on the road at 5:30 p.m.