Box ScoreSeason StatsPORTALES, N.M. – A season-high 55 points in the second half propelled the No. 6/7 West Texas A&M Lady Buff women's basketball team to a 102-51 victory Saturday evening at Eastern New Mexico. With the win, the Lady Buffs ran their winning streak to seven games improving to 16-2 on the year and a league-best 7-1 in Lone Star Conference play.
The Lady Buffs had balanced scoring as six players were in double figures. The team shot a blistering 19 of 27 from the field in the second half stretching a 47-25 lead at intermission. WT buried a season-high 15 triples in the game going 15 of 26 and was 35 of 59 from the field for a 59.3 clip. WT was 17 of 21 from the line and held a 46-23 lead in rebounding.
Sophomore guard
Sasha Watson, who was limited in the first half due to foul trouble, had 14 points and eight assists, while junior
Michaela Neuhaus had 14 points off the bench with four triples to lead the team in scoring. Seniors
Chontiquah White and
Ariel Robertson each had 13 points, while junior
Madison McLain had 11 and senior
Jordan Vessels had 10. Junior
Danielle Logan added nine points with a career-high seven assists.
It was the second conference game WT scored over 100 points this season (Texas A&M-Commerce 100-73 on 1/24/15). It also marked the first time since the 1996-97season the Lady Buffs had three games of scoring 100 or more points.
WT opened the game with an 8-0 run for an 11-5 lead and a timeout by ENMU after a quick opening bucket from the Zias. The Lady Buffs connected on three triples in the early going from Robertson, junior
Danielle Logan and Watson.
ENMU (6-12, 2-6 LSC) used a 7-0 run of its own as WT turned the ball over three times capped on a layup from Sarah Stinnett for a 12-11 Zia lead with 14:10 left in the first and a timeout by the Lady Buffs. A bucket from sophomore
Maddison Wild inside off an assist from Neuhaus gave WT a 16-14 lead as WT was just 2 of its last 10 with 11:18 left.
Wild scored a free throw for a 21-17 lead with 9:49 left. Later, senior
Jordan Vessels buried a triple for a 24-17 lead with 9:13 remaining and a quick 6-0 run. White scored inside for a 26-17 lead with just over eight minutes remaining in the half extending the run to 8-0.
A jumper in the lane from Stinnett ended the run as ENMU went just one of its last nine. Stinnett scored a free throw for a 26-20 deficit with under seven left in the first. Neuhaus buried the sixth WT triple and White added the seventh for a 34-22 lead and a timeout by the Zias with 5:43 left as WT made 5 of its last 7 shots.
White then scored the "and one" for a 37-22 lead extending the run to 9-0 for a 37-22 score with 4:25 and ended the half with a 10-0 run for a 47-25 lead at intermission. Since the 9:49 mark, WT outscored ENMU 26-8.
For the half, WT shot 16 of 32 from the field for an even 50 percent. It was 7 of 15 from beyond the arc and 8 of 10 from the line. WT dominated the glass 22-13 and led 12-2 in second chance points. White and Robertson each had 11 points for the Lady Buffs.
ENMU was led by 12 points from Sarah Stinnett as the Zias were 10 of 29 from the field for 34.5 percent and were 4 of 12 from beyond the arc, while making 1 of 2 free throws. WT had 13 assists in the half with six steals and 10 turnovers, while forcing 11 miscues by the Zias for an 11-10 lead in points off turnovers.
Back-to-back-to-back triples from the Lady Buffs opened the second half and a timeout from ENMU as WT led 56-27 with 18:23 left as the Lady Buffs cruised to the victory.
ENMU finished the game 20 of 61 from the field for a .328 percentage. The Zias were 5 of 22 from beyond the arc and 6 of 10 from the line. ENMU was led by 15 points from Stinnett on 6 of 15 from the field with one triple and two free throws.
WT continues on the road Wednesday at Angelo State for a 6 p.m. tip at the Junell Center, before returning home to host Texas A&M-Kingsville Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. in the First United Bank Center.
