Saturday, January 31, 2015
PORTALES, N.M. — After a start which saw five lead changes, sixth-ranked West Texas A&M (16-2; LSC 7-1) pulled away from the Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball team, 102-51, in Lone Star Conference action Saturday at Greyhound Arena.
Sarah Stinnett (Jr., G, Fort Sumner, N.M./Howard College) twice hit go-ahead buckets for the Zias and scored a team-high 15 points.
After the Lady Buffs won the tip off, Sasha Watson committed an offensive foul to set up a three-point bucket from Stinnett to give ENMU a 3-0 lead 33 seconds into the game. WT's Danielle Logan answered with a trey of her own, but Eastern took the lead right back on a Stinnett layup. Watson followed with a three-point basket to spark an 8-0 Lady Buff run for an 11-5 lead with 16:55 left in the opening half. A jumper from Stinnett followed by a trey from
Tori Tucker (Portales, N.M./Floyd HS/Howard College) ignited a 9-2 ENMU run over the ensuing 3:03 of play, with the Zias taking their final lead, 14-13, on a jumper from Junior guard
Shayla Williams (Oklahoma City, Okla./Butler CC). After the teams went back and forth, ENMU pulled within 18-17 on another three-point basket from Tucker with 11:08 on the clock, but West Texas A&M scored the next eight points, for a 26-17 lead. Eastern New Mexico managed to pull within six on three consecutive points from Stinnett, but WT exploded on a 25-3 run that stretched into the second half and pulled away for the win.
The Zias held a slim 16-14 edge in points off turnovers, but the Lady Buffs enjoyed a 10-point advantage in second chance points and held a 45-22 lead on the boards. Tucker finished with 10 points, while
Jaylyn Cooper (Jr., G, Texico, N.M./Texico HS) chipped in six points. Michaela Neuhaus and Watson paced six WT players in double figures with 14 points each, while Watson dished out eight assists.
The Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball team will return to home on Wednesday, when they play at Texas A&m-Kingsville. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. MT.