Box Score

Season Stats

DENTON, Texas  – In a battle for sole possession of first play in the Lone Star Conference, No. 1 West Texas A&M used solid defense in a 59-41 victory Saturday afternoon at Texas Woman's University.  With the win, WT improved to 14-0 overall and 3-0 in LSC play, while Texas Woman's saw its 11-game winning streak come to an end falling to 13-3 on the year and 3-1 in conference play.
 
In a defensive battle from the getgo, the Lady Buffs shot just 38 percent on 19 of 50 from the field, but was 5 of 14 from beyond the arc and 16 of 20 from the line.  Senior Sasha Watson was the lone Lady Buff in double figures with 13 points on 4 of 9 from the field with a triple and 4 of 6 from the line.  WT forced 22 turnovers by the Pioneers leading to a 19-9 lead in points off turnovers and held a 38-35 lead in rebounding.  WT tallied seven blocks in the game and 12 steals.  The Pioneers entered the game leading the nation in 3-point field goal defense at 18.9 percent per game and in field goal percentage defense (.310).
 
TWU shot 28 percent on just 14 of 50 from the field for the game for 28 percent.  The Pioneers were just 1 of 14 from beyond the arc – the lone make coming late in the game and 12 of 18 from the line.  Erin Maxwell was the lone Pioneer in double figures with 10 points on 2 of 8 from the field and 6 of 6 from the line with six rebounds and four blocks. 
 
It was the second time this season WT has held an opponent to under 30 percent shooting as Colorado Mines shot 25.9 percent in the season opener.  No team has shot over 40 percent on the Lady Buffs this season.  The 38 percent by WT in the game was just the second time this season the Lady Buffs have shot under 40 percent as WT also shot 38 percent against Colorado Mesa in November.
 
WT improved to 50-5 all-time against TWU and 23-3 in Denton.  It was the 10^th-straight win for the Lady Buffs in the series.
 
The teams shot a combined 4 of 22 from the field through the first six minutes and five blocks combined, WT held an 8-4 lead courtesy of 4 of 4 from the charity stripe.  Senior Madison McLain extended the lead to 10-4 with a bucket with just over two minutes remaining in the quarter.
 
The Lady Buffs led 12-8 through the first quarter as the typical strong-shooting Lady Buffs were just 4 of 14 from the field (29 percent) and TWU was 3 of 14 (21 percent).  The teams each had six turnovers.
 
Sophomore Madison Parker found junior Maddison Wild inside for a bucket and a 19-11 score with six minutes remaining in the half as WT built on a four-point lead at the end of the first quarter with solid free throw shooting in the second.  Watson scored inside for a 21-13 lead with five minutes left in the half as both teams began to heat up each making their last three field goals.
 
Senior Alie Decker buried a triple for a 24-15 lead and timeout by the Pioneers with 4:34 left in the half.  TWU entered the game first nationally in 3-point field goal defense at .189.  It was the first triple in three tries for the Lady Buffs to that point.  TWU missed its two attempts from range to that point.
 
Decker then buried her second trey for a 27-17 lead and the largest lead of the game with 3:27 left in the half off an assist from McLain.  Parker then scored inside for a 29-17 lead with 2:30 left.  Watson then buried a triple for a 32-17 lead and another timeout by TWU with two minutes left in the half.  The trey extended to an 8-0 run over the last 1:41 as the Lady Buffs made six of their last seven shots.
 
TWU leading scorer on the season, Erin Maxwell, scored two free throws in the final minute for the Pioneers for a 32-19 deficit at intermission.
 
For the half, WT was 11 of 28 from the field for 39 percent.  The Lady Buffs were 3 of 7 from beyond the arc for 43 percent and 7 of 8 from the line.  WT had 19 rebounds in the first half with 13 on the defensive end and forced 13 miscues by the Pioneers.  Watson led the way with nine points, while Wild had eight points and six rebounds to pace the team.
 
The WT "D" held TWU to just 7 of 24 from the field for 29 percent and 0 of 5 from beyond the arc.  TWU was 5 of 8 from the line, while recording 18 rebounds with 12 on the defensive end.  Maxwell led the way with six points and four blocks as she entered the game leading the nation in blocks with 52. 
 
WT built a 17-point lead and had a 38-23 lead with 5:35 left in the third quarter.  McLain buried a triple off the assist from Watson for a 41-25 lead and the fourth long ball of the game for the Lady Buffs.  TWU continued to struggle from beyond the arc missing its one attempt to that point and falling to 0 of 6 for the game.
 
The Lady Buffs missed their last four shots and five of the last six and were on a 3:15 scoring drought before a reverse layup from Decker gave WT a 43-27 lead with 1:30 left in the third as TWU also went cold on 1 of its last 5 and 2 of its last eight.
 
Senior Michaela Neuhaus buried a trey for a 46-27 lead on the fifth triple of the game for the Lady Buffs with 14 seconds left in the third.  TWU hit one free throw and Brianna Gray scored right before the buzzer for a 46-30 WT lead after three.
 
The lead extended back to 19 at 51-32 less than five minutes remaining as WT continued to hit its free throws (12 of 14) for the game despite some foul trouble in the fourth as junior Lilley Vander Zee picked up her fourth, while Neuhaus and Wild each had three.  
 
Maxwell buried two free throws for a 51-34 score out of a media timeout with 4:26 left.  Senior Zantaya Davis made two free throws for a 55-36 lead with three minutes left. 
 
Following two free throws from Watson, TWU's Emily Spector hit a triple at the other and as it was the first triple made in 13 attempts for the Pioneers in the game for a 57-41 WT lead with 2:18 left. 
 
The Lady Buffs have a quick turnaround as they travel to Cameron for a 2 p.m. tip Sunday in Lawton, Okla.  WT downed the Aggies 69-58 in Canyon on New Year's Eve.