By Alan Wiederhold
HT Athletic Communications
SAN ANTONIO – Huston-Tillotson University's women's basketball team began the post-holiday portion of their 2025-26 schedule in an ideal fashion Tuesday as claimed a 53-47 win at Our Lady of the Lake.
Wilashia Burleson posted her eighth double-double of the season, scoring 18 points and securing 11 rebounds, to lead the Rams (4-8) Tuesday. Teammate Destiny Stanford scored 13 points and handed out eight assists for Huston-Tillotson.
Macie Smith scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-16 shooting to lead Our Lady of the Lake, which fell to 3-10 for the season.
The Rams were in control most of the game, leading by as many as 12 points in the third quarter. They then overcame a fourth-quarter comeback attempt by the host Saints to secure the victory and give the teams a split of this season's home-and-home non-conference series.
The host Saints scored nine unanswered points during a three-minute stretch early in the fourth period to claim a 43-39 lead with five minutes remaining in the game. Undaunted, the Rams responded with seven consecutive points of their own, giving the visitors a 46-43 lead with three minutes left in the contest; HT's run included a big fast-break 3-pointer from Bria Jackson to reclaim the lead for the Rams.
Holding onto a one-point lead late in the game, HT's Jade Hilliary, a San Antonio native playing in front of sizable cheering section, knocked down a 3-pointer with 1:55 remaining to stretch the HT lead to 49-45. The Rams then held OLLU scoreless on the Saints' next three possessions, forcing the home team to foul in the final 30 seconds of the game.
Hilliary knocked down two free throws with 23 seconds remaining in the game and added two more layups in the waning seconds of the contest to seal HT's victory. She finished the game with nine points and six rebounds for the Rams, while her teammate Xaria Culver chipped in eight points for HT.
The Rams return to action Thursday, Jan. 8, when they resume HBCU Athletic Conference play at home against Philander Smith (Ark.). Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. as part of a women's-and-men's hoops doubleheader at HT's Branch Gymnasium.
– HT –
