Box Score

Season Stats

LUBBOCK, Texas  – For the second-straight year, the West Texas A&M Lady Buffs and University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Mountain Lions met on the court in the NCAA Tournament.  This time it was in the first round as WT posted a 70-43 victory Thursday afternoon at the Rip Griffin Center on the campus of Lubbock Christian University.  WT improved to 27-4 on the season, while UCCS finished its season at 21-10.  WT now is 31-21 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and have won nine of its last 11 in the Big Dance.
 
The Lady Buffs shot an even 50 percent for the game on 21 of 42, including 57.1 percent in the second half on 12 of 21.  WT had five players in double figures, led by a double-double from junior Maddison Wild on 10 points and 10 rebounds, while senior Zantaya Davis had a team-high 11 points.  Senior Madison McLain buried two triples and scored 10 points, while junior Allie Decker had 11 points and five steals and sophomore Hannah Alexander had 10 points both coming off the bench.  WT was 2 of 6 from range and was 26 of 29 from the line. 
 
UCCS, who lost to WT in the Regional Championship game in Canyon last season 96-69, was led by 15 points from Brittany Hernandez who scored all of them in the second half as she was 3 of 12 from the field, but was 9 of 11 from the line.  Hernandez entered the game ranked sixth nationally in scoring at 21.0 points per game.  She was the lone Mountain Lion in double figures.  UCCS shot just 21.7 percent from the field on 13 of 60.  It was just 3 of 24 from beyond the arc and 14 of 17 from the line. 
 
WT held a 36-35 lead in rebounding, but the Mountain Lions led 21-9 in offensive rebounds, but credit the WT defense to keeping UCCS to just a 10-5 lead in second chance points.  The Lady Buffs uncharacteristically had 26 turnovers, but UCCS led just 23-22 in points off turnovers as WT forced 24 miscues.  UCCS entered ranked 29^th in the nation in turnovers at just 13.4 miscues per game.
 
The Lady Buffs opened an early 8-0 lead with all points inside as UCCS was ice cold missing its first seven shots.  WT opened 3 of 5 and a timeout by the Mountain Lions. 
 
A triple from Jen Vigil got the Mountain Lions on the board with 5:44 left in the first for an 8-3 score.  Tori Fisher scored inside for an 8-5 WT lead with 3:47 left in the quarter and five quick points from the Mountain Lions.
 
Junior Sasha Watson found fellow junior Alie Decker inside for a bucket ending the run and a 10-5 score, as Watson led the team with nine assists in the game.  A triple from UCCS cut the deficit to 10-8 at the other end.  Back-to-back steals and layup from the Mountain Lions tied the game with less than a minute left in the quarter and a mini-4-0 run by UCCS. 
 
For the quarter, WT shot just 4 of 10 after opening 3 of 5 from the field, but was 4 of 4 from the line, while UCCS headed up to 5 of 13 from the field with two triples and held a 10-4 lead in rebounding. 
 
A bucket from Fisher gave UCCS its first lead of the game on the opening possession of the second quarter.  Alexander earned the "and one" at the other end tying the game at 14.  Two free throws from Davis gave the Lady Buffs the lead back at 16-14 with eight minutes left in the half.  Davis then earned two more free throws making one for a 17-14 lead.
 
Watson found Wild inside for a 19-14 lead with 5:46 left in the half.  Davis added two more free throws extending the lead to 21-14 with 5:19 left as WT opened the second quarter on a 9-2 run. 
 
Out of a media timeout, Wild drained two free throws for a 23-14 lead with 4:27 left in the half as WT extended the run to 9-0 since the eight minute mark.  Two free throws from UCCS' Shanah Leaf ended the run for a 23-16 lead.  McLain answered with a jumper at the other end at 25-16. 
 
A jumper from Gabby Ramirez was just the second field goal of the quarter for the Mountain Lions and a 25-18 WT lead with 2:17 left.  Watson found Decker inside for a 27-18 lead swelling the lead back to nine with 1:15 remaining in the half. 
 
McLain hit two free throws for a 29-18 lead with one minute left.  A steal by senior Michaela Neuhaus and timeout by WT gave the Lady Buffs another possession with 45.9 seconds remaining.  Neuhaus scored off an offensive rebound for a 31-18 lead at intermission.
 
For the half, WT shot 9 of 21 from the field for 42.9 percent.  The Lady Buffs were 0 of 2 from range, but were 13 of 15 from the line, while pulling down 19 rebounds.   Wild led the way with eight points, continuing her strong play from the conference tournament in which she posted back-to-back double-doubles.  She had six rebounds at intermission.
 
For UCCS, the Mountain Lions shot 7 of 30 from the field for 23.3 percent for the half.  They were 2 of 13 from beyond the arc and just 2 of 2 from the line, while pulling down 17 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end, but WT led 3-0 in second chance points and the Lady Buffs dominated points in the paint 18-8.  Fisher had six points to pace UCCS, but Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Hernandez, was held scoreless.
 
Hernandez scored inside for the first bucket of the second half, but McLain answered with a triple at the other end for WT and a 34-20 lead.  Following two missed free throws from Hernandez, McLain hit her second triple for a 37-20 lead with 7:49 left in the quarter. 
 
The fouls started mounting up for the Lady Buffs as UCCS was shooting free throws the rest of the quarter with six minutes left.  Two free throws by the Lady Buffs off the 18^th UCCS miscue gave WT a 39-24 lead at the third quarter media timeout.  UCCS entered the game ranked 29^th nationally in turnovers allowing just 13.4 per game.
 
Watson scored on a drive to the bucket ending a 4-0 run by the Mountain Lions for a 41-26 lead with 3:07 left in the third.  Wild scored off a nice dish from Neuhaus for a 43-28 lead.  Hernandez scored inside and made an "and one" for a 43-31 WT lead.  Two free throws from UCCS cut the deficit to 43-33 late in the quarter.  Watson was fouled and made two free throws at the other end for a 45-33 lead.  Decker was fouled and made one toss for a 46-33 lead with 18 seconds left in the quarter.  Hernandez was fouled inside with 3.6 seconds left, making both for a 46-35 lead at the end of three.
 
Alexander hit two free throws for a 48-35 lead with 9:21 left in regulation.  A steal and layup from Watson forced UCCS into a timeout as WT pushed the lead back to 15 at 50-35 with 8:51 left with a 4-0 start to the quarter.
 
After two shot from Hernandez at one end, Alexander answered at the other for a 52-37 lead.  Alexander added another bucket and Watson fed Decker in transition for a 56-37 lead and the largest of the game with 6:31 left.  Decker then scored inside for her 11^th point and a 58-37 advantage. 
 
Vigil buried her second triple with 5:11 left cutting the deficit to 58-40 and a timeout by the Lady Buffs.  Wild pulled down her 10^th rebound for her third-straight double-double and fourth in the last five games. 
 
Alexander scored as the shot clock was winding down off the eighth assist from Watson for a 62-40 lead with three minutes left.  She then fed Davis for a 64-40 lead with 2:18 left and Watson hit two free throws for a 66-40 lead. 
 
The Lady Buffs now will await the winner of Colorado State-Pueblo versus Black Hills State (S.D.) for a matchup tomorrow at 5 p.m. in the semifinals of the regional.  Tickets are available for tomorrow's game through Lubbock Christian.  If WT faces CSUP, it will be the eighth meeting all-time as WT leads 5-2.  The Lady Buffs have never met Black Hills State as this is the Yellow Jackets' first trip to the NCAA Tournament.