DENTON, Texas – Despite a season-high 27 points – 21 in the first half – by West Texas A&M senior Sasha Watson, cold second half shooting doomed the Lady Buffs in a 62-59 loss at Texas Woman's Thursday evening.  WT fell to 7-3 overall and 2-2 in Lone Star Conference play, while TWU improved to 6-3 and 1-2 in league play.

Out of a timeout by TWU with 56 seconds left and WT clinging to a 59-58 lead, Saygo scored her 26^th point with a jumper as TWU had its first lead at 60-59 since a 2-1 lead in the first minute of the game.  Saygo missed the charity toss on the "and one" and a WT rebound. 

Following WT's final timeout with 39 seconds left, WT was in the midst of a 3:05 scoring drought and no field goals in the last 5:40 on one of its last eight field goals and just two of nine from the field in the quarter.  Senior Madison Wild missed a layup, but got her own rebound with 21 seconds left.  WT turned it over and TWU called a timeout.  The Lady Buffs immediately fouled as they had fouls to give and didn't get TWU into free throws until there were nine seconds left.  Saygo buried two tosses for a 62-59 lead with nine seconds left. 

It was the Watson and Saygo Show as Watson went 9 of 16 from the field, one of three from beyond the arc and 8 of 10 from the line, but was just 1 of 5 in the second half from the field.  TWU's Kenesha Saygo had a game-high 28 points on 7 of 14 with five triples in six attempts and 9 of 12 from the line.  Watson moved into 20^th all-time in school history in scoring with 1,018 points passing Megan Kinen (1982-86). 

WT scored a season-low 21 points in the second half after posting 38 in the first.  The Lady Buffs were just 7 of 22 from the field in the second half for 31.8 percent which also marked a season-low.  They were 0 of 4 from range in the second half and 7 of 9 from the line.  For the game, WT shot 21 of 50 for 42 percent as the team entered the game shooting a league-best .493 from the field.  WT was just 2 of 13 from beyond the arc tying a season-low and was 15 of 19 from the line.  WT outrebounded TWU 35-29 and led 19-11 in points off turnovers as both teams committed 14 miscues.

TWU also shot 42 percent also on 21 of 50 from the field.  The difference was three-point shooting as TWU was 6o f 12 from range and 14 of 25 from the line.  Saygo was the lone Pioneer in double figures.  The Pioneers were 10 of 24 from the field in the second half with four triples and 9 of 14 from the line after going just 5 of 9 from the line in the first half.

WT returns home to prepare for the Terrace Hotel Classic at Florida Southern University Dec. 16-17 in Lakeland, Fla., where the Lady Buffs will play nationally ranked Florida Southern and a neutral site contest against Eckerd (Fla.).  The Lady Buffs' next home game will be Dec. 30 at 5:30 p.m. versus University of the Southwest (N.M.) in the First United Bank Center.

Watson had an unbelievable half as she was 8 of 11 from the field with a triple and 4 of 6 from the line for 21 points marking a season-best for the Lady Buffs in a half this season.  Her 21 points in the first half gave her 1,012 for her career moving her into 20^th all-time in school history in scoring.  The previous best scoring in a half was junior Sydney Walton tallied 19 points in the first half against Western New Mexico (Dec. 1).

TWU scored the first two points of the game, but Watson began her scoring with a free throw, steal and layup for a 3-2 lead with 8:53 left in the first.  Walton buried one of just two WT triples in the half for a 6-2 lead as the Lady Buffs led the rest of the quarter en route to a 17-9 score. 

Junior Madison Parker put the lead at 19-9 right out of the gates in the second quarter, but TWU kept close pulling within four on five occasions through the first half of the second quarter.  A jumper pulled the Pioneers within 27-24 with 6:25 left in the half. 

From there, WT quickly pushed the lead back to double digits with a triple from Watson sparking seven-straight points from her for a 34-24 lead with 4:50 left.  TWU pulled back within five, but Watson had the answer once again for her 21^st point on a layup and a bucket from senior Lilley Vander Zee made the score 38-29 at intermission.

For the half, WT shot 14 of 28 from the field for 50 percent, while going just 2 of 9 from beyond the arc, but was 8 of 10 from the line.  The Lady Buffs had six miscues in the half and forced the Pioneers into 12 as WT led 17-0 in points off turnovers.  Senior Maddison Wild had six points. 

TWU went 11 of 26 from the field for 42 percent, 2 of 4 from beyond the arc and just 5 of 11 from the line.  The Pioneers were led by eight points from Kenesha Saygo.  The game was tied in rebounding as each time tallied 16. 

Saygo heated up in the early moments of the second half with five points for 13 for the game, including her second triple of the game as WT lead 43-34 with 7:36 left in the quarter.  Saygo then buried her third triple for a 43-39 WT lead with 6:21 left in the quarter as WT opened just 2 of 6 from the field with two turnovers lead to five points for the Pioneers.  TWU opened the half making three of its first five with two Saygo triples.

Senior Alie Decker ended a 7-0 run by the Pioneers and a 2:35 scoreless drought for a 45-39 score with 5:17 left in the quarter.   

Fouls started mounting for the Lady Buffs as TWU began making its free throws pulling within 49-43 with 3:35 left in the third despite the Pioneers not hitting a field goal in the last 3:11. A steal and layup pulled TWU within four once again at 49-45 with 2:23 left in the third ending a drought of over 3:30.

Watson ended a scoring drought of 3:06 with two free throws for her first points of the second half with 1:41 left and a 51-45 lead.  Both junior Cece Wooten and Walton tallied their fourth fouls in the third quarter which put WT down two of its inside players. 

Grace Mitchell pulled TWU within 53-46 with less than a minute left in the third as it was as close as TWU had been in the second half as WT with without a field goal over the final 4:47 of the third.  WT went just 4 of 9 from the field in the third, while TWU was 5 of 10 with two triples and 7 of 10 from the line in the second stanza. 

Saygo buried her fourth triple as WT went cold once again, but Parker scored her sixth point on a layup for a 57-51 lead with 6:18 left.  Saygo then scored her 24^th point and fifth triple for a 57-54 WT lead with 5:56 remaining.  Deja Pointer hit jumper off the 12^th WT miscue for a 57-56 WT lead with 4:43 left as it was as close as the Pioneers had been since the first quarter and a timeout by WT.

Two big blocks from Wild kept WT in the lead and a turnover by TWU gave the ball back to WT with four minutes left as the Lady Buffs held a 57-56 lead.  Watson buried two free throws for a 59-56 lead with 3:44 left. 

Watson missed a layup as WT made just one of its last six field goals and none in the last 3:14. Emily Spector pulled TWU within 59-58 with 2:45 left at the other end.  WT's 13^th turnover gave TWU a shot at the lead with 1:47 left and a timeout by the Pioneers as WT's field goal drought extended to the last 4:32 and one of its last seven. 

TWO missed a jumper from Saygo as Wild tallied her fifth rebound out of the time out.  WT couldn't convert at the other end with a missed triple and a rebound by TWU followed by Pioneer timeout.