HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston State women's basketball team made a late run in the fourth quarter, but could not overcome an upstart UIW team who handed the Kats a 77-74 loss on Wednesday night at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.
 
The loss drops the Kats (14-7, 9-3 SLC) out of first place in the Southland Conference, and is the second consecutive big win for UIW (10-10, 6-5 SLC) after the Cardinals upset ACU on Saturday in Abilene.
 
UIW's Imani Robinson turned in a huge game with 31 points and 11 rebounds on a night that saw the Cardinals dominate both the glass and the paint. The Cardinals finished the game with a 45-29 rebounding advantage – including 16 offensive boards – and outscored the Kats 40-22 in the paint. The Kats hit just 38.2 percent from the floor, but did damage at the foul line where they converted 25 of 34 tries.
 
Faith Cook continued her hot shooting of late for Sam Houston, setting a new career high with 24 points. The guard hit 9-for-10 from the foul line in addition to 5-for-8 from 3-point range. Jaylonn Walker (13 points) and La'Sha Haynes (10 points) each joined her in double figures, but much of that came in the fourth quarter when the Kats outscored UIW 32-20 after scoring 14 points apiece in each of the first three quarters.
 
Sam Houston never held more than a 1-point lead in the opening period, while the Cardinals upped their lead to as much as 16 in the fourth quarter, keeping the Kats at arm's reach throughout.
 
The Kats put together a 10-1 run after going down 16 with 5:04 to play in the game, but still found themselves down 73-63 after UIW's Macy Ray canned her second triple of the night with 1:19 to go. A 3-pointer from Cook and free throws from Walker and Amber Leggett made things interesting in the final seconds, cutting the lead to 75-72 before UIW was able to ice it at the foul line.
 
The Kats were down just a point after a quarter of play, but were marred in an enigmatic second quarter as UIW opened up its lead to as much as 15. SHSU went into the locker room down 38-28 after nearly being doubled up on the glass, 29-15, for the half and being outscored 13-2 in second-chance points.
 
Robinson led the way for UIW with 15 of her 31 points in the opening two quarters while Faith Cook led the Kats with nine at the break. UIW scored the first eight points of the quarter and outscored the Kats 17-4 in the first seven minutes of the period before the Kats got their first field goal of the quarter on a jumper from Haynes nearly seven minutes in.
 
Sam Houston will now hit the road for a game at Nicholls. Tipoff is set for 1:00 p.m. on Saturday at Stopher Gym in Thibodaux, La.