PORTALES, N.M. – A game-high 18 points from West Texas A&M senior Maddison Wild and a career-high 17 points from junior Madison Parker sparked the Lady Buffs to a 62-52 victory at No. 17 Eastern New Mexico Thursday evening.  With the win, the Lady Buffs snapped a two-game skid and improved to 14-6 overall and 7-4 in Lone Star Conference play.  ENMU, who was 10-0 in league play and had won seven-straight, fell to 14-4 and 10-1 in LSC Play. 

Following a disappointing week last week, the Lady Buffs came out ready to go at ENMU and avenge at 72-67 loss at home to the Greyhounds in December.  With the win, WT opened the second half of the league season pulling within three games of ENMU as the Greyhounds' lead in the league standings was trimmed to 1.5 games over idle Angelo State. 

Despite shooting an even 40 percent on 20 of 50 from the field, the Lady Buffs held ENMU to just 15 of 58 for 25.9 percent for the game and recorded five blocks and five steals in the contest.  The Lady Buffs were four of 15 from beyond the arc and 18 of 28 from line.  Wild had a game-high 18 points on eight of 10 from the field with a triple and a free throw along with two blocks.  Parker went four of 12 from the field with a team-high seven rebounds and was a career-best eight of 12 from the line for 17 points.  WT tallied a season-low seven turnovers in the game and dominated points in the paint, 28-10. 

ENMU, led by Mikaehla Connor with 12 points as she was one of 12 from the field with a triple and nine of ten from the line.  Both Daeshi McCants and Johna McClelland had double-digit rebounds with McClelland with a game-high 11 rebounds and McCants with ten.  Connor was the lone Greyhound in double figures.  ENMU stayed within striking distance going seven of 18 from beyond the arc and 15 of 20 from the line.  The Greyhounds held a 42-34 lead in rebounding and 16-7 in offensive rebounds for a 14-4 lead in second chance points.

Parker gave WT a 15-12 lead late in the first quarter for Parker's third triple of the season as ENMU went cold missing its last four shots over the last 4:14 and an 8-0 WT lead.

Junior Sydney Walton buried the Lady Buffs' third triple of the quarter for an 18-14 lead with less than 40 seconds remaining in the quarter and that was where the frame ended as WT made six of its first 13 shots with three triples.  ENMU was just four of 15 from the field for the frame with two triples.  WT, who had not been to the line much in the last two games, was three for four from the charity stripe in the quarter and ENMU was four of six.

WT continued the strong play throughout the second quarter and built as much as a 13-point advantage in the second quarter at 32-19 as the Lady Buffs went six of 14 from the field for the quarter and one of three from beyond the arc.  The WT "D" continued to stymy ENMU as the Greyhounds went just three of 13 for the quarter, but did make two triples as WT outscored ENMU 14-8 for the frame.

For the half, WT shot 12 of 27 from the field for 44.4 percent and was four of nine from beyond the arc, while going four of seven from the line.  Wild led the way with nine points on four of five from the field with a triple. 

ENMU shot just seven of 28 from the field for 25 percent, but buried four triples in eight attempts and was four of six from the line.  Jasmine Hotchkins had six points on two triples for the Greyhounds, while McCants led the team with seven points. 

Both teams really struggled shooting in the third, but ENMU stayed in the game with a triple cutting the WT lead to 36-29 with over five minutes left, but Wild scored inside for the Lady Buffs pushing the lead back to nine at 38-29 with three and chance left in the frame.  Wild again scored inside for her game-high 13^th point and a 40-29 lead, but Sarina Johnson buried her first triple at the other end cutting the deficit to eight at 40-32 with 2:09 left in the quarter. 

Johnson hit her second triple of the quarter pulling ENMU within 40-35 with less than minute left in the third.  WT got two big offensive rebounds in the final minute as it played for the last shot.  Wild scored inside and was hacked for the "and one" with 5.7 seconds left in the quarter pushing the WT lead back to 43-35 to end the frame.

Both teams once again struggled in the start of the fourth combining for one of 8 from the field as Wild had the only bucket for a 45-35 lead with 7:16 left.  It was her 18^th point of the game.  She then picked up her fourth foul on the other end having to go to the bench.

The fouls started mounting for the Lady Buffs as ENMU began cutting into the deficit with trips to the line going five of six in the quarter as WT as two for two through the first 4:11 with the Lady Buffs clinging to a 47-40 lead.

Offensive rebounds and fouls by the Lady Buffs helped ENMU stay within striking distance an offensive rebound and foul gave Brandi Gomez tosses at the line where she hit both for a 47-42 WT lead.  Senior Sasha Watson answered at the other end, ending a 4:04 scoring drought and zero of five from the field with a bucket in the paint, for a 49-42 lead and then stole the pass on the inbounds play.  On a foul on McCants, she also got a technical foul, fouling out with 4:36 left.  Freshman Lexy Hightower hit one of two technical shots for a 50-42 lead. 

Senior Alie Decker scored inside off an assist from Parker for a 52-44 lead with 3:33 remaining.  Decker then hit two free throws off a turnover by the Greyhounds for a 54-44 lead and a quick 4-0 run.  Wild pulled down an offensive rebound, but picked up her fifth foul for securing the rebound and swinging an elbow.  Deemed not a flagrant foul, ENMU missed both tosses and WT got the rebound with 2:39 left. 

ENMU pulled within 55-46 with 2:23 left on a bucket from Kassandra Harris and a timeout.  Parker was fouled by Harris with 2:12 left, made just one toss for a 56-46 lead.  Parker was hacked with six seconds left on the shot clock earning two shots.  This time, she made both for a career-high 15 points.    

The Lady Buffs continue on the road Saturday at 3 p.m. CT at Western New Mexico as Lucas Kinsey and Kent Johnson will have the call on 98.7 Jack FM.  Fans can access live stats, audio/video streaming links on www.gobuffsgo.com on the women's basketball schedule page.