CANYON, Texas – The #6 Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M battled until the final buzzer on Sunday afternoon as they fell to the top-ranked Texas Woman's Pioneers in the Lone Star Conference Championship Game, 54-46 at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.
 
The opening quarter saw the Lady Buffs initiate the scoring with a quick jumper from Randi Harding. Harding maintained momentum, contributing both a layup and a 3-pointer, which helped the Lady Buffs to an early lead. The team capitalized on Texas Woman's turnovers, converting them into points, and built their lead through quick transitions.
 
Despite the early advantage, Texas Woman's responded strongly in the latter half of the quarter. They managed a significant push, aided by strong play in the paint and a timely 3-pointer to close the quarter. The Lady Buffs concluded the first quarter trailing 22-17.
 
The Lady Buffs opened the second quarter by leveling the game with strong defensive plays, including three blocks and three steals. Karley Motschenbacher and Harding were instrumental in the paint, each contributing crucial baskets. Claire Graham's three-pointer at 3:36 brought the Buffs within two points, highlighting a key momentum shift.
 
As the quarter progressed, the Lady Buffs' defense remained stout, evidenced by Henley West's block in the final seconds. The quarter concluded with the WT narrowing the gap, trailing Texas Woman's 33-29 at halftime.
 
The Lady Buffs opened the third quarter by drawing closer to TWU with a layup from Kyla Kane, assisted by Graham, narrowing the score to 31–35. Harding's three-pointer at 6:50 further contributed to the momentum, bringing the score to 34–37. West added another jumper, assisted by Harding, reducing the deficit to one point at 36–37.
 
Despite a strong defensive presence with four blocks in the quarter, including one from Motschenbacher, the Lady Buffs trailed as Texas Woman's managed to maintain a slight lead. The quarter ended with Kenadee Winfrey's layup, closing the quarter at 41-38.
 
The Lady Buffs began the fourth quarter with a defensive stop and a fast-break jumper by Graham at 8:35, reducing the deficit to three points. West followed with a key offensive rebound and tip-in at 6:55, maintaining pressure and closing the gap to 45-42.
 
With four minutes remaining, Motschenbacher connected on a layup, assisted by West, keeping the score tight at 45-44. Harding's jumper at 3:38 brought the Buffs within one point at 47-46, but Texas Woman's responded with consistent free-throw shooting in the final minute, pulling ahead. The Lady Buffs faced challenges from the free-throw line and turnovers in the closing moments, falling 54-46.
 
Harding scored 18 points and added three rebounds, leading the offensive effort for the Buffs. Taytum Bell contributed significantly on defense with five steals. West posted eight rebounds and blocked three shots, showcasing defensive presence. Motschenbacher recorded six rebounds and added five points.
 
The Lady Buffs entered the week ranked second in the South Central Region as the selection show for the 2026 NCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship will be announced tonight at 9:30 p.m. CT on NCAA.com.

LSC Championship Women's All-Tournament Team
Gabby Elliott, TWU (MVP)
Jada Celsur, TWU
Averee Kleinhans, TWU
Randi Harding., WT
Karley Motschenbacher, WT