Game Notes in PDF Format

CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M women's basketball team hosts a pair of huge Lone Star Conference matchups this week at the First United Bank Center as No. 2/6 Angelo State comes to Canyon for a 5:30 p.m. tip Thursday and the Lady Buffs welcome Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday at 2 p.m.
 
WT is 11-4 on the year and 4-2 in Lone Star Conference play, while Angelo State is 12-0 and leads the LSC with a 6-0 mark as one of five remaining unbeaten teams in NCAA Division II women's basketball. 
 
HOW TO CATCH THE GAMES – The games will be broadcast on 98.7 JACK FM throughout the Texas Panhandle with Lucas Kinsey and Kent Johnson having the call.  Links to live audio/video and live stats can be found at www.gobuffsgo.com on the women's basketball schedule page. 
 
CARPET TECH TAILGATE - At halftime of the women's game on Thursday there will be a Carpet Tech Tailgate in the foyer of the First United Bank Center.
 
RECAPPING LAST WEEK – The Lady Buffs kicked off 2017 with a pair of solid road wins at Midwestern State and at Cameron as the team improved to 3-1 on the year in true road games.  Against Midwestern State, the Lady Buffs started slow, but tallied a season-high 50 points in the second half for a 79-53 win.  Five Lady Buffs were in double figures in the game led by 17 points from senior Alie Decker who went 6 of 11 from the field and a career-high five triples, while senior Maddison Wild tallied 11 rebounds in the contest, including ten on the defensive end.  WT shot 53.6 percent for the game and held MSU to just 35.1 percent as the Lady Buffs drained eight triples and went 11 of 16 from the line, while outrebounding MSU 42-25.  Against Cameron, the Lady Buffs extended their winning streak over the Aggies to 12 games with a 77-64 win.  Just seven Lady Buffs played in the game, but four were in double figures led by the first career double-double from senior Lilley Vander Zee as she tallied 17 points and a career best 12 rebounds to lead the team.  Junior Sydney Walton also added 17 points.  Vander Zee was 7 of 8 from the field and 3 of 3 from the line, while recording three blocks.  WT tallied a season-high 51 rebounds in the game and led 51-31 on the boards.  WT also held an 18-2 lead in fast break points against the Aggies.
 
BUFFALO BLITZ ON TUESDAYS – The Buffalo Blitz Radio Show returned to Feldman's Wrong Way Diner last Tuesday and will continue each Tuesday evening throughout the rest of the regular season.  The show will be broadcast on the home of West Texas A&M Athletics, KPRF 98.7 JACK FM, and streamed on Facebook Live.  It will run from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Feldman's will have dinner specials for WT students with a valid WTAMU ID.  Come and listen to head women's basketball coach Kristen Mattio speak about the Lady Buffs and select women's basketball players will be in attendance each week.
 
INSIDE THE LEAGUE STANDINGS - The Lady Buffs currently are 4-2 in Lone Star Conference play and 11-4 overall with four LSC games remaining in the first half of the league slate.  WT is 1/2 game behind Texas A&M-Commerce for third in the standings as TAMUC downed Tarleton State Tuesday evening.  Angelo State and Eastern New Mexico both are undefeated at 6-0, while Tarleton State sits 1/2 game behind WT at 4-3.  
 
REVERSED ROLES - Last season the Lady Buffs were undefeated and the top-ranked team nationally heading to Angelo State and suffered first their loss of the season, 69-64.  This season it is the Rambelles who are one of five undefeated teams remaining in Division II and the Lady Buffs have the chance to play the spoiler.
 
THE UNDEFEATEDS - Angelo State is 12-0 on the year and one of the five unbeatens in Division II.  Along with the Rambelles, top-ranked Ashland (Ohio) is 16-0, while Virginia Union is 12-0, Lincoln Memorial (Tenn.) is 12-0 and Colorado State-Pueblo is 15-0 entering the week.
 
HIGHTOWER AND VANDER ZEE START - The Lady Buffs made a change to the starting lineup before the University of the Southwest game on Dec. 30 as senior Lilley Vander Zee returned to the lineup and freshman Lexy Hightower made her first career start.  In the three games with them starting, WT is 3-0 as Hightower leads the team in scoring at 15.0 points and Vander Zee is second at 14.7.  The duo is 37 of 58 from the field for a blistering .638 from the field and 7 of 16 from beyond the arc (.438).  Combined, they have 16 assists, seven blocks and four steals, while Vander Zee is averaging 8.7 rebounds during the three games.  WT is averaging 84.3 points per game and allowing just 50.0, while shooting .537 from the field (95 of 177) and .447 from beyond the arc on 21 of 47.  The Lady Buffs are averaging 44 rebounds per game and allowing just 24.7. 
 
SASHA MOVING UP - Senior Sasha Watson moved over 1,000 career points with a season-high 27 points at Texas Woman's on Dec. 8.  She now has 1,096 career points ranking her 16th all-time in school history.  She needs 39 points to move into 15th all-time to surpass Denise Hunt (1987-1991) with 1,134 points.  Watson also ranks seventh all-time in free throws made (319) and eighth in free throws attempted (470).  She is sixth all-time in career assists with 386 and needs just seven to pass Vanessa Wells (1984-88) for fifth all-time with 392. 
 
SEEING TIME – In the lopsided win over University of the Southwest (Dec. 30), all of the WT players were able to play and some saw significant playing time.  Sophomore Taylor LaCour went 2 of 3 from the field and 4 of 4 from the line for eight points, while senior Bailey Thiel played a career-best 23 minutes going 2 of 5 from the field and 2 of 2 from the line for six points and posted four assists with two steals. 
 
OVER 50 PERCENT – The Lady Buffs returned to shoot over 50 percent against University of the Southwest Dec. 30 going 37 of 63 from the field (.587).  It was the first game in the past four of shooting over 50 percent and the Lady Buffs followed shooting 53.6 percent at Midwestern State on Jan. 5.   WT is 3-3 when shooting 40-49 percent and 1-1 when shooting under 40 percent this season. 
 
GETTIN' TO THE LINE – WT is 240 of 324 from the charity stripe this season for a 74.1 percent clip.  The Lady Buffs' 240 made free throws are just five less than the opposition has attempted (245).  Conversely, the opposition is 160 of 245 from the line for a .653 clip.
 
FROM DEEP – The Lady Buffs are 82 of 221 in triples made this season for a .371 clip and have gone 21 of 47 from beyond the arc in the last three games (.447).  Senior Alie Decker leads the team with 35 made triples on the year.   
 
BLOCK PARTY – The Lady Buffs have recorded at least one block in each of the 15 games this season with a season-high eight rejections coming against St. Edward's (11/18).  The Lady Buffs have 54 blocks on the season as a team and a 3.6 average per game.  Senior Lilley Vander Zee leads the team with 20 rejections on the year.
 
IN THE POLLS – The Lady Buffs are not ranked or receiving votes in the latest WBCA Coaches Poll for the second-straight week and the first time since the 2012-13 season.  WT fell out of the D2SIDA Top 25 as it was receiving votes in the Jan. 3 poll and fell out of the D2SIDA South Central Region rankings for the first time in the three-year history of the poll.  After receiving votes last week in the D2 SID South Central Region Poll, WT is again tied for 10th this week.
 
ABOUT THE LADY BUFFS – After going 3-3 in the past six games to end 2016, WT started off 2017 with a pair of wins and has a big challenge with nationally ranked Angelo State coming to town on Thursday and a home game against a much improved Texas A&M-Kingsville squad on Saturday.  The Lady Buffs are shooting .491 from the field this season on 384 of 782 WT is 82 of 221 from beyond the arc for a .371 clip and is 240 of 324 from the line for a .741 average.  WT is averaging 38.1 rebounds per game and scoring 72.7 points per contest, while the opposition is shooting .363 from the field and .323 from beyond the arc, while shooting .653 from the line.  The Lady Buff defense is holding teams to just 28.7 rebounds per game and 56.3 points per contest.  Individually, senior Sasha Watson leads the team averaging 14.9 points per game.  She is 72 of 144 from the field (.500) and 70 of 94 from the line for a .745 average.  Watson leads the team in assists with 67 (4.5) and steals with 28 (1.9).  Senior Alie Decker is second on the team in scoring at 11.6 points per game.  Decker is 54 of 132 from the field (.409) and leads the team with 31 triples in 79 attempts for a .392 clip.  Decker is second on the team in assists (38) and steals (16).  Senior Maddison Wild leads the team averaging 6.9 rebounds per game and she is third in scoring at 9.7 points per game.  WT head coach Kristen Mattio is in her second season at the helm of the Lady Buffs as she is 39-9 overall and 17-5 in Lone Star Conference play in her two seasons. 
  
NATIONAL LADY BUFFS – WT enters the game 25th nationally in assists with 237 ranking 25th in the nation and leads the LSC in assists per game at 15.8.  The Lady Buffs are second in the LSC in blocks with 54 (3.6, 3rd), and are second nationally in field goal percentage at a .491 clip as Ashland (Ohio) leads the nation at .508. WT's .363 percentage defensively is third in the LSC, while WT is both second in the LSC in free throws attempted (34th, 324), and made (17th, 240).  The Lady Buffs are second in the LSC in free throw percentage at a .741 clip ranking 48th nationally.  WT holds a 9.4 rebounding margin ranking 12th nationally and first in the conference, while also ranking tops in the LSC in scoring defense (26th, 56.3) and second in scoring margin at 16.3 to Angelo State's 16.9.  WT is 22nd in scoring margin.  The Lady Buffs are 24th nationally and first in the league in 3-point field goal shooting at a .371 clip.  Individually, Watson ranks 39th nationally and first in the league in assists (67) and 69th in assists per game (4.5) which also is tops in the league.  Senior Lilley Vander Zee leads the league in blocks with 20, while Watson ranks 16th nationally in free throw attempts (94) and 22nd in free throws made (70) which both are league-bests.  Decker is tied for the league-lead in triples made with 31.
 
STRONG AGAINST THE LSC – The Lady Buffs are 53-7 since Feb. 9, 2013, in Lone Star Conference regular season play and have an overall mark of 64-9 overall including both LSC and NCAA playoffs during that span.  WT is 29-2 at home (28-2 regular season), 25-5 on the road (regular season) and 10-2 in neutral sites (LSC playoffs).  WT is 354-70 all-time in LSC regular season play.
 
WINNING TRADITION – Last season marked the fourth-straight year of 20 or more wins for the Lady Buffs.  WT has won 30 or more games in 2013-14 and 2014-15 and have 30 wins in six seasons since 1980-81.  The Lady Buffs have not had a losing season since 1980-81 and have won 20 or more games in 27 seasons during that span with a string of nine-straight from 1983-1992.  Since the 2012-13 season, WT is 120-27 (.816) with three NCAA postseason appearances, a national runner-up finish (2014), two Elite Eight trips (2014, 2015), and a NCAA Sweet Sixteen appearance (2016).  In the LSC the Lady Buffs have been just as successful with three Lone Star Conference regular season titles (2014-2016), two Lone Star Conference tournament championships (2014, 2015) and four-straight trips to the LSC championship game.
 
LADY BUFFS SIGN THREE – WT announced the signing of three for the 2017-18 season during the early signing period in November as Daria Cosgrove (Plano, Texas), Abby Spurgin (Fredricksburg, Texas) and Zada Swoopes (Whitewright, Texas) all inked with the Lady Buffs.
 
ABOUT ANGELO STATE – The Rambelles have had an outstanding season thus far under second-year head coach and former Lady Buff assistant Kevin Baker.  ASU is sixth this week in the latest WBCA Top 25 and second in the D2 SID Poll.  The Rambelles have won four of their last five games by a 18 points as no team had gotten closer than 16 in their other eight wins.  ASU is shooting .438 from the field for the year on 343 of 784.  ASU is 61 of 215 from beyond the arc (.284) and 227 of 313 from the line (.725).  The Rambelles are averaging 43.4 rebounds per game and scoring 81.2 points per game.  ASU returns a number of key players from last year's LSC Tournament Championship team including Taylor Dorsey who leads the team averaging 19.3 points per game.  She is 93 of 185 from the field (.503), 12 of 44 from beyond the arc (.273) and 34 of 53 from the line (.642).  Dorsey is averaging 4.0 rebounds per game and leads the team with 50 assists and 31 steals.  Second on the team is LSC Preseason Player of the Year Jasmine Prophet who is averaging 12.7 points per game.  Prophet is 53 of 97 from the field (.546) and 34 of 42 from the line for a .810 clip.  She leads the team in rebounding at 7.4 per game and has a team-high 17 blocks on the year. 
 
RAMBELLES IN THE RANKINGS - ASU is 47th nationally and first in the LSC in assist/turnover ratio at 1.03 and is 15th nationally in fewest turnovers with just 170 in 12 games (14.1).  ASU is second in blocked shots per game at 4.0 right ahead of WT in the LSC and second behind the Lady Buffs in rebounding margin at 5.5 per game.  ASU is first in the league and 20th nationally in scoring marking at 16.9 and 11th nationally in scoring offense at 81.2 points per game to lead the league.  ASU has a 5.50 turnover margin which is 25th nationally and first in the league.  Individually, Dorsey is second in the LSC in assists per game at 4.2 behind Watson and third in assists with 50.  Prophet is second in the LSC behind Vander Zee in blocks with 17 and leads the league in blocks per game at 1.55.  Dorsey leads the LSC in field goals made with 93 and second in field goal attempts with 185.  She is second in the league in field goal percentage at a .503 clip.  Dorsey also leads the league in steals (31) and steals per game at a 2.58 clip.  
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH ANGELO STATE – The Lady Buffs lead the all-time series 47-16, but the Rambelles have won the last three, including two overtime heartbreakers last season.  ASU won 112-111 in three overtimes in Canyon last season and won 68-65 in double overtime in the conference tournament championship game in Allen, Texas, denying WT of a three-peat in the conference tournament.  WT is 26-5 all-time against Angelo State in Canyon and 18-10 in San Angelo.  The three wins by ASU is the second-longest winning streak in the series as ASU won four times from Feb. 28, 2004 to Jan. 21, 2006.  Last year's triple overtime game in Canyon was the longest game in program history for the Lady Buffs and the most points combined between two teams in WT history.
 
ABOUT TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE – The Javelinas are off to a 7-5 start and a 2-4 mark in Lone Star Conference play and will play at UT Permian Basin before heading North to Canyon for Saturday's matchup.  TAMUK is led by Kaylin Roher who leads the team averaging 11.5 points per game and 2.1 steals per game.  She is averaging 2.6 triples per game which leads the LSC and is .419 from beyond the arc which ranks second in the league.  Kaylee Kana leads the team averaging 8.4 rebounds per game which is second in the conference and is coming off back-to-back games of 10 rebounds and her first career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Texas A&M-Commerce on Jan. 5.  As a team, the Javelinas are shooting .374 from the field on 273 of 729.  TAMUK is 73 of 206 from beyond the arc (.354) and 134 of 208 from the line (.644).  The Javelinas are averaging 41.9 rebounds per game and allowing 38.5, while scoring 62.8 points per game.  Conversely, the opposition is shooting .359 from the field on 252 of 701 and 7 9 of 276 from beyond the arc for a .286 clip.  Teams are scoring 60.2 points on the Javelinas under third year head coach Wade Scott.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE – WT leads the all-time series with Texas A&M-Kingsville 56-8 and has won 14-straight dating back to a Feb. 21, 2009 70-66 loss in Canyon.  WT is 32-3 al-time in Canyon and 24-5 in Kingsville.  WT won both meetings last season, including an 85-49 win on Jan. 16 in Canyon. 
 
ROAD WARRIORS – Following this week's games, the Lady Buffs return to the road for five-straight away from the First United Bank Center beginning next week at Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce.  Following that trip, begins the second half of league play at Eastern New Mexico (Jan. 26) and makes its first trip to Western New Mexico in Silver City, N.M., since Jan. 10, 1994. After that, the Lady Buffs have a quick turnaround at UT Permian Basin on Jan. 31, before returning home to open February against Texas Woman's on Feb. 4.