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Lady Buffs Snap Streaks By Edging Zias, 61-58, Monday
Jan. 11, 2005
PORTALES, N.M. - Senior guard Suni Jo Petty hit two free throws with 9.7 seconds left and senior forward Vasha Adams had a steal to seal the win as the West Texas A&M University women's basketball team edged Eastern New Mexico University, 61-58, Monday night in the Lone Star Conference South Division opener for both teams at ENMU's Greyhound Arena.
WTAMU won at Portales for the first time in three years and snapped a two-game overall losing streak, improving to 8-4 and are now 1-0 in LSC South play.
ENMU lost its fourth in a row and fell to 5-7 overall and 0-1 in the LSC South.
Petty and fellow senior, forward Celeste Stevenson, netted a game-high 17 points apiece, as Petty snapped out of a shooting slump by draining three 3-pointer. Stevenson also pulled down 10 rebounds to log her fourth-straight double-double.
ENMU had four players in double-figures, led by Tiana Bryant's 14 points, while Mika Robertson tallied 13 points and Loren Scarlett and Heather Brown posted 10 points each. Robertson registered a double-double with a game-high 11 rebounds, leading the Zias to a 38-33 rebounding advantage.
ENMU was playing without leading scorer Laci Lee who missed her second-straight game with an ankle injury.
The Lady Buffs also improved their shooting from their last two games, shooting 36.4 percent (20-of-55) from the field, including 6-of-22 (27.3 percent) behind the 3-point arc. WTAMU was 15-of-20 (75.0 percent) from the free throw line.
ENMU shot 55.0 percent (11-of-20) from the field and 4-of-7 (57.1 percent) 3-point shooting in the second half to finish the game 19-of-48 (39.6 percent) from the field and 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) from 3-point land. The Zias were 14-of-20 (70.0 percent) from the free throw line.
WTAMU jumped out to an 18-8 lead with 11:44 to go on a 3-pointer from Dixie Bell and the lead swelled to 15 at 27-12 with 6:03 left in the half on a deep trey from Petty.
Sophomore forward Alicia Saunders gave the Lady Buffs a 29-16 lead at the 4:21 mark before the Zias reeled off the next 12 points to close to 29-28 with 11.7 seconds left, but sophomore guard Natalie Wheeler hit a 3-pointer from the corner with 5.1 ticks on the clock to give WTAMU a 32-28 halftime advantage.
The Lady Buffs held the Zias to 20.0 percent shooting in the first 15 minutes of the half, before ENMU hit 8-of-8 from the field to end the half 8-of-28 (28.6 percent).
The Zias forced a tie at 33-all with 18:23 to play, but the Lady Buffs went on a 7-0 streak on a bucket and trey from Petty, then a fast break layup from Adams off a touch pass from junior guard Tiffany Lewis to put WTAMU up 40-33 at the 17:09 mark, forcing an ENMU timeout.
Bryant hit five consecutive points, followed by three points from Robertson to tie it at 40-40 with 13:32 to go. Stevenson responded with a bucket before Scarlett hit a 3-pointer from the corner to give ENMU its first lead of the game at 43-42.
After the teams exchanged baskets and the lead, Brown gave the Zias the lead for the final time at 49-48 with 6:56 to go.
Petty and Lewis hit back-to-back 3's to open a five-point lead at 54-49 with 5:27 remaining.
After ENMU closed to 57-56 with 1:57 on a basket by Doss, but Adams followed her own miss with a putback bucket with 1:01 left.
Robertson hit a jumper with 43.7 seconds to go, giving the ball back to WTAMU. The Lady Buffs got the ball inside to Stevenson, whose layup was contested and deflected by Scarlett with 20.3 seconds left, creating controversy with the shot clock. The officials ruled to turn off the clock with the Lady Buffs in possession.
Petty dribbled around the back court and was fouled and sent to the line with 9.7 seconds left and drained both.
After both teams took timeouts, Adams swiped Brown's cross-court pass with 2.1 seconds to go and dribbled out the time, sparking WTAMU's victory celebration.
The Lady Buffs wrap up crossover action by continuing on the road, traveling to Ada, Okla., on Thurs., Jan. 13 to take on East Central University, and then heading to Durant, Okla., to face Southeastern Oklahoma State University.
Both contests are part of doubleheaders with the WTAMU men, as the Lady Buffs tip off at 6 p.m.
Fans can tune into WTAMU Basketball action on the Buffalo Sports Network on KGNC 710 AM or streamed on the internet at www.gobuffsgo.com.
WTAMU returns home on Thurs., Jan. 20, hosting Midwestern State University in an LSC South doubleheader at 6 and 8 p.m.
Contact the WTAMU Athletics Ticket Office at 806-651-4424 for ticket information.
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