Box Score

Season Stats

Tournament Central

LUBBOCK, Texas  – No. 3-seed West Texas A&M pulled away in the second half from an upset-minded No. 7-seed Black Hills State Friday evening at the Rip Griffin Center on the campus of Lubbock Christian.  17 points from junior Sasha Watson in the second half sparked the Lady Buffs to a 63-48 win advancing to their third-straight NCAA South Central Region final Sunday evening.
 
WT (28-4) was led by the 18 points from Watson as she was 4 of 7 from the field and 9 of 10 from the line with five assists leading three Lady Buffs in double figures.  Senior Madison McLain added 11 on 3 of 8 from the field with a team-high three triples and two free throws while leading the team with four steals.  Junior Alie Decker added 10 points off the bench with two triples and four charity tosses. 

The Lady Buffs shot just 32.7 percent for the game on 16 of 49, but made up for it by going 24 of 30 from the line, including 19 of 20 in the second half.  WT was 7 of 17 from beyond the arc and outrebounded BHSU 44-26, including 16-7 on the offensive end.  WT committed just 12 turnovers in the game and led 18-6 in points off turnovers and 14-3 in second chance points.
 
Black Hills State (21-8), out of Spearfish, S.D., was led by a game-high 19 points from Taylor Trohkiminen on 7 of 11 from the field with three triples and two free throws.  Bailey Kusser added 12 points – all from range on 4 of 9.  BHSU shot 34.7 percent for the game on 17 of 49.  The Yellow Jackets were 8 of 24 from beyond the arc, but were just 6 of 10 from the line.  In the decisive second half, they were just 2 of 4 after starting 4 of 6. 
 
It was BHSU's first trip to the NCAA Tournament (1-1). 
 
WT advances to its third-straight NCAA South Central Region final on Sunday at 7 p.m. in the Rip Griffin Center and will play either top-seeded and No. 1-ranked Lubbock Christian or No. 4-seed Angelo State for the fourth time this season.  ASU won all three previous meetings, including a 68-65 Lone Star Conference Championship in double overtime last Saturday in Allen, Texas.  The Lady Buffs and Rambelles have played three games this season with five extra periods.
 
WT leads the all-time series with LCU 1-0. 
 
Both teams started cold as WT was called for three early fouls, including two charge calls. McLain drilled a triple for a 3-0 lead with seven minutes left in the quarter.  Junior Lilley Vander Zee scored inside for a 5-2 lead, but BHSU tied the game at five with a triple at the other end with six minutes left in the period. 
 
McLain hit her second triple for an 8-5 lead and a miscue by the Yellow Jackets gave the ball back to the Lady Buffs as McLain buried another for an 11-5 lead.  The Lady Buffs began the game 4 of 10 from the field with three triples, while BHSU was 1 of 6.  WT held an 8-3 lead in rebounding through the first 5:30 of the contest.
 
Decker hit a trey off an assist from Watson for a 14-7 lead with 2:13 left in the first.  Kusser hit her second triple for the Yellow Jackets and just the second made field goal for BHSU in the game and a 14-10 score.  Another triple from Christine Thorn brought BHSU within 14-13, but sophomore Hannah Alexander buried a jumper at the other end to push the lead back to three.  She then hit a jumper at the buzzer for an 18-15 lead.
 
BHSU hit its fourth triple of the game to open the second quarter tying the game at 18.  Watson earned two shots making one for a 19-18 lead.  Decker hit another triple for a 22-18 lead with 7:42 left in the half and senior Zantaya Davis scored off an assist from Watson resulting in a timeout by BHSU and a 24-18 WT lead.
 
The third triple from Taylor Trohkimoinen gave BHSU its first lead of the game at 26-25 with 5:20 left in the half.  Two free throws from junior Maddison Wild gave the lead back to WT at 27-26 with three minutes left.  A steal by McLain and one free throw gave WT a 28-26 lead. 
 
Senior Michaela Neuhaus hit a triple off an assist from Alexander for a 31-26 lead with one minute left in the half as WT took the five point advantage into half.
 
For the half, WT shot just 37 percent on 10 of 27 from the field.  It, however, was 6 of 11 from beyond the arc, but struggled from the line making 5 of 10.  The Lady Buffs led a 19-13 lead in rebounding and a 7-2 advantage on the offensive end.  McLain led the way with 10 points in the half.
 
Black Hills State shot 8 of 21 for 38.1 percent and was 6 of 14 from beyond the arc, while going 4 of 6 from the line.   WT forced BHSU into seven turnovers holding a 10-0 lead in points off turnovers, but points in the paint, where the Lady Buffs normally dominate, was just 4 to 4.  Trohkimoinen led the Yellow Jackets with nine points.
 
Neuhaus hit a jumper for a 33-28 lead with 8:13 left in the third.  Two free throws from Watson pushed the lead to 37-30 with five minutes left in the third.  A triple from Kusser pulled the Yellow Jackets within 37-33 with less than five minutes left in the quarter, but Watson answered with a jumper and Kusser hit another long ball for a 39-36 WT lead.  Watson then scored again inside as the offense began to pick up for both teams.
 
Watson scored two buckets and made two free throws for 11 points and a 45-36 lead with 2:20 left in the third.  Decker then earned two free throws after a tie up on a great tip and control from Vander Zee for a 47-36 lead.  Watson then earned two more free throws for a 49-38 lead with five seconds left in the quarter as she scored 12 points in the frame.  The other big stat in the third quarter was free throw shooting as WT went to the line 10 times in the quarter making all 10, while BHSU didn't got to the line at all in the quarter. 
 
A bucket by BHSU and turnover by WT pulled the Yellow Jackets within 49-40 with 8:33 left.  Watson buried a triple for a 52-40 lead in transition for the Lady Buffs marking the largest lead of the game. 
 
Out of a media timeout, Trohkimoinen earned the "and one", but missed the toss for a 10-point game at 52-42 with 6:53 left.  Trohkimoinen pulled BHSU within eight, but Wild scored at the other end pushing back to 10.  It was her team-leading 15^th point of the game on 6 of 7 from the field and 3 of 4 from range.
 
Davis made two free throws for a 56-44 lead with 3:47 left as she was fouled inside.  BHSU had to foul three times to get to foul shots and finally did with 1:01 left.  Decker buried two shots for a 59-46 lead and the largest of the game.  Watson made two shots for a 60-46 lead with 41.7 seconds left.