CANYON, Texas – The West Texas A&M women's basketball team had five players in double figures and a game-high 16 points from freshman Lexy Hightower as the Lady Buffs upset No. 2/6 Angelo State 68-61 Thursday evening at the First United Bank Center.  WT snapped a three-game losing skid against the Rambelles as it improved to 12-4 overall and 5-2 in Lone Star Conference play, while ASU dropped its first game of the season, falling to 12-1 overall and 6-1 in league play.

WT held a 62-59 lead with 98 seconds left as ASU regained possession off a loose ball and a timeout.  ASU had two good looks, but were unable to score and fouled Hightower with one-minute remaining sending her to the line.  Hightower made both free throws for a 64-59 lead.

Taylor Dorsey earned two shots missing both tosses as WT regained possession and called a timeout with 47.6 seconds left.  With one second left on the shot clock and 18.8 in the game, senior Maddison Wild was fouled and made two free throws for a 66-59 lead.  Out of a timeout by ASU, Jasmine Prophet hit a jumper for a 66-61 score and a timeout with 8.3 seconds left.  Senior Lilley Vander Zee was fouled on the inbounds and made two free throws for a 68-61 score. 

Hightower made big buckets throughout as she went 5 of 13 from the field, 3 of 8 from beyond the arc and 3 of 4 from the line with five rebounds, three assists and three steals.  Senior Alie Decker added 13 points on 5 of 8 from the field and 3 of 6 from range also with five rebounds and three assists.  Senior Lilley Vander Zee added 11 points and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds.  Senior Maddison Wild and junior Sydney Walton each added 10 points. 

The Lady Buffs struggled shooting as they went 21 of 53 from the field and 8 of 20 from beyond the arc.  The main difference in the game was at the charity stripe as WT was 18 of 23 and Angelo State was just 7 of 13 from the stripe.  WT outrebounded the Rambelles 40-32. 

ASU was led by 14 points from Taylor Dorsey as she was 5 of 15 from the field and 4 of 9 from the line with a game-high eight rebounds.  Jasmine Prophet added 12 points and Lexi Murphy added 12 points all on triples off the bench.  The Rambelles shot 23 of 59 from the field for a .390 clip and were 8 of 18 from beyond the arc. 

Both teams really struggled out of the gate as the teams combined for 1 of 10 from the field and a Rambelle 2-0 lead with 6:20 left in the first quarter.   WT buried a triple from senior Maddison Wild for a 4-4 score with just over 5:30 left in the quarter for the Lady Buffs' first field goal.   ASU built an 8-4 lead with a triple from Keanna Kelly with just over three minutes left in the quarter.  WT scored inside from Decker pulling within 8-6 moments later.

Decker then buried a triple for a 9-8 WT lead with less than a minute left in the quarter which is where the frame ended as WT went just 3 of 12 from the field and ASU was 3 of 11. 

A triple from Walton and jumper from junior Cece Wooten pushed the WT lead to 14-10 with eight minutes left in the first half for the largest lead of the game to that point for the Lady Buffs.  Hightower hit a jumper in the paint off an offensive rebound for a 16-10 WT lead and a timeout by the Rambelles with 6:17 left in the half.  Out of the timeout, a bucket from Vander Zee off another offensive rebound gave WT an 18-10 lead.  Kelly hit at triple for an 18-13 WT lead at the other end as both teams started to heat up.  Decker buried her second triple for a 26-16 lead. 

Following a technical foul on Dorsey of ASU and a "hoop and harm" for Walton, WT stretched the lead to 30-16 with 2:15 left in the half as WT was in the midst of a 12-3 run.  Two free throws from Prophet cut the WT lead to 30-18 with less than two minutes remaining in the half.  Lexi Murphy buried her second triple for a 30-21 WT lead.  ASU scored inside for a 30-23 lead as the Rambelles were on a 7-0 run with 37 seconds left in the half.  Following a jump ball, ASU got one last chance, but were unable to get a shot off as WT led 30-23 at intermission.

For the half, WT shot 11 of 28 from the field for a 39.3 average, while going 5 of 12 from beyond the arc and 3 of 5 from the line.  WT had 20 rebounds in the half with seven on the offensive end, while committing 10 turnovers.  Six different Lady Buffs scored and was led by Decker with eight points. 

ASU went 8 of 23 from the field for 34.8 percent and was 4 of 7 from range while going 3 of 4 from the line.  The Rambelles had 13 rebounds and also committed 10 turnovers as ASU entered averaging a league-best 14.1 turnovers per game.  Murphy and Kelly each had six points for the Rambelles.

WT scored four quick points to begin the second half for a 34-23 lead, but ASU scored ten-straight for a 35-33 WT lead and a timeout by the Lady Buffs.

Out of the timeout, WT missed its shot and ASU tied the game underneath with a bucket from Prophet, but Hightower buried a triple at the other end for a quick-lived tie and a 38-35 WT lead with 5:15 left in the third quarter.

WT kept the lead between three and five points the rest of the quarter as Hightower pushed the lead to 46-39 with a jumper for her 11^th point of the game through three.  Early in the fourth, WT built the lead to as many as nine and led 52-44 with 7:30 left as Vander Zee found some easy buckets inside. 

Wooten buried a jumper off an offensive rebound for a 56-49 lead with 4:30 remaining, but Murphy answered with a triple at the other end for her third trifecta of the game and a 56-52 score.  Off a miss from WT, Murphy hit another triple pulling ASU within 56-55 with 3:35 remaining. 

Out of the media timeout, senior Sasha Watson dished to an open Hightower for a triple and a 59-55 lead with just over three minutes left.  Watson then found senior Maddison Wild for a bucket and pushed the lead back to four at 61-57, but ASU answered inside for a 61-59 score with two minutes left. 

WT continues at home on Saturday as Texas A&M-Kingsville visits for a 2 p.m. tip at the First United Bank Center.