STEPHENVILLE, Texas – A season-high 19 points from senior Cloe Lane (Kansas City, Mo.) wasn't enough to keep the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball program in contention against Tarleton on Thursday at Wisdom Gym in the first Lone Star Conference matchup of the year as the hosts came away with a 60-44 decision to open LSC play.

The Javelinas (2-4, 0-1 LSC) kept the game close in the early portions before the TexAnns (5-1, 1-0 LSC) pulled away late in the second quarter to end up on top in the conference clash.

Lane kept the Javelinas in the game early, connecting for 12 of the first 14 points for TAMUK for a 14-11 lead favoring the visitors at the 2:41 mark of the first quarter. Tarleton closed out the stanza with seven unanswered points, however, with the Blue and Gold staring down an 18-14 deficit going into the second.

Lane added another pair of free throws to close out the first half with 14 points to lead the Javelinas. Meanwhile, the TexAnns were led by Kaylee Allen and Katie Webster as the two combined for 24 points in the first half to put TAMUK in a 35-22 disadvantage going into the locker room.

Both sides traded punches to open the third as Tarleton tallied the first six points of the frame, while junior Rachel Tapps (Cypress Ranch, Texas) and Lane added six for the Javelinas for a 43-28 deficit at the 3:34 mark. The TexAnns closed out the quarter on top, though, with six of the final eight points for a 49-30 cushion going into the fourth.

The Blue and Gold opened the fourth quarter on an 8-2 run, capped off by a jumper from sophomore Nicole Hutchins (Berowra, Australia) at the 6:47 mark to trim the TSU lead to 51-38, but the TexAnns matched the Javelinas the rest of the way to come away with the 60-44 final.

Lane finished the contest with a game-high 19 points on a 7-for-15 shooting clip from the floor. She added four rebounds, two steals and one block to bring the well-rounded look.

Tapps finished with nine points on a .500 mark, adding six rebounds and three steals in the process. Hutchins extended her blocked shots streak to six games to start the year as she picked up one early in the first quarter.

The Javelinas will stay on the road for Saturday's matchup against A&M-Commerce as they will tip off against the Lions at 2 p.m. CT in Commerce, Texas.

To keep up-to-date with Javelina Women's Basketball, follow the program on Facebook /JavelinaWBB or on Twitter @TAMUKwbb

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