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Jan. 20, 2005

Box Score

The West Texas A&M University women's basketball team had four players in double-figures as the Lady Buffs won their fourth in a row and seventh in last eight with a 90-61 rout over Midwestern State University Thursday night in a Lone Star Conference South Division contest at the WTAMU Event Center.

With the win, WTAMU improved to 11-4 overall and 2-0 in LSC South action, while MSU lost its third in a row and seven of last nine and fell to 6-10 overall, 1-2 in LSC South play.

Senior forward Vasha Adams posted a game-high 19 points off the bench, followed by fellow senior forward Celeste Stevenson with 17 points. Classmate, guard Suni Jo Petty tallied 13 points and tied a career-high by dishing out eight assists and junior guard Tiffany Lewis added 12 points. Both Petty and Lewis drained three 3-pointers.

Junior forward Keisha Monroe pulled down seven rebounds as the Lady Buffs dominated the boards, 48-29.

MSU has three players in double-figures, led by 13 points from LaTia Banks, who played for WTAMU in the 2001-02 season. Katie Robertson and Kelly Cleavinger added 11 points each. Cleavinger returned to the Lady Indians' lineup after missing the previous six games with a leg injury.

The Lady Buffs held a whopping 40-18 edge on points in the paint and the WTAMU reserves outscored MSU's, 44-25, as 11 of the 12 Lady Buffs scored.

Shooting 68.0 percent (17-of-25) from the field in the second half paved the way for a 47.5 percent (28-of-59) shooting effort for the Lady Buffs, including 8-of-26 (30.8 percent) from behind the 3-point arc, but were 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) from behind the arc after halftime.

MSU shot 39.2 percent (20-of-51) shooting percentage, including 9-of-22 (40.9 percent) from 3-point land.

The Lady Buff defense forced 29 turnovers (the second-highest for a WTAMU opponent), which were converted into 42 WTAMU points. The Lady Buffs committed 25 blunders, which the Lady Indians turned into 27 points.

WTAMU now holds a controlling, 24-8, advantage in the all-time series and the teams meet again on Feb. 17 at Wichita Falls, Texas.

MSU led at 3-0 and 5-3 before WTAMU reeled off a 16-5 streak to open a 19-10 lead with 12:13 to go in the half on a jumper from Adams.

The Lady Buffs' lead reached double-digits for the first time at 23-12 with 9:31 left on a rebound and putback by Monroe and the score difference never dipped below nine for the rest of the game.

WTAMU converted a 37-27 halftime lead into a 49-32 advantage in the first three minutes of the half, as Petty drained a trey at the 17:04 mark. MSU cut the gap to 49-39 at 15:01, but the Lady Buffs reeled off the next nine points, capped by a 3-pointer from Lewis.

A putback layup from sophomore guard Natalie Wheeler gave WTAMU its first 20-point lead at 69-49 with 7:01 to play and sophomore forward Alicia Saunders hit a fast break layup with 5 ticks left for the final score and the the Lady Buffs' largest lead of the gama.

WTAMU plays the second of its three-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 24, when the Lady Buffs and Buffs host Texas A&M University-Commerce in an LSC South doubleheader with the women tipping off at 6 p.m., followed by the mens' contest at 8 p.m.

TAMU-Commerce brings a 7-9 overall and 2-1 LSC South ledger into Saturday's showdown, as the Lions defeated Eastern New Mexico University, 71-67, Thursday night.

WTAMU Athletics will be donating half of Saturday's ticket procedes to the Amarillo Chapter of the American Red Cross for the Tsunami Relief Fund.

Complete Tsunami Relief Fund release.

For tickets, contact the WTAMU Athletics Ticket Office at 806-651-4424.

ENMU comes to the Event Center to take on WTAMU on Monday at 6 and 8 p.m., as the Lady Buffs and Buffs conclude the homestand.

-WT-