BEAUMONT, Texas — The University of South Alabama women's basketball team overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat the Lamar University Cardinals, 73-71 in the first round of the Women's Invitation Tournament to advance to the second round of the postseason tournament.

Shaforia Kines hit a big three-pointer to tie the game up at 68 at the 1:43 mark in the fourth quarter and then Antoinette Lewis hit a free-throw to give the Jags their first lead since early in the second. Lewis came back on the next possession, made a layup to put the Jags up by three with 48 seconds left, and Lamar did not take back the lead from that point on. South Alabama iced the game with solid defense and a pair of free-throws towards the end of regulation.

The Jags outscored Lamar 25-14 in the final quarter of action to take the game away from the Cardinals. Lewis posted a career high 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds en route to her 12th double-double of the season. Lewis shot 10-of-13 from the floor and nailed 7-of-11 from the charity stripe. Alexis Sykes was the only other Jags player to join Lewis in double figures on the evening. Sykes hit a pair of crucial threes down the stretch for the Jags and finished with 14 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc.

Moe Kinard went for a game high 36 points for Lamar, going 11-of-20 from the floor and 6-of-13 from the three-point line. Kinard grabbed six rebounds for the Cardinals and nailed four threes in the third quarter alone. The senior guard fouled out of the contest with 49.3 seconds left in the game on an offensive foul drawn by Kennedi Centers.

The Jaguars handed Lamar its first loss at home in three years, a streak that spanned 42 games. South Alabama moves to 25-10 on the season and with 25 wins sets a new standard for program wins, surpassing two teams that won 24 in a season.