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Jan. 24, 2007

Box Score

CANYON, Texas - Senior guard Natalie Wheeler came out of the gate on fire and never looked back on her way to registering a career-high 23 points to help lead the No. 13 West Texas A&M women's basketball team to a 78-58 Lone Star Conference South Division victory over Tarleton State on Wednesday at the First United Bank Center.

The victory marked the 28th consecutive win for the Lady Buffs on their home court and improves their overall record this season to 16-3 and 5-0 inside LSC South play. The TexAnns, however, drop to 9-5 overall on the year, including a 2-2 mark in league action.

Wheeler was the story early on, pacing the Lady Buff offensive attack during the game's opening minutes with 14 points by connecting on her five of her first six shot attempts including two from long distance. The Turkey, Texas, native was spectacular during the first half, setting her season-high with 21 points by converting 8-of-10 shot opportunities in only 20 minutes of play.

While Wheeler and the Lady Buffs enjoyed a hot start to the contest, the visitors from Stephenville did not, connecting on only two of their first 15 shots during the first half. After twenty minutes of play the statistics told the story with the Lady Buffs holding a 40-23 advantage on the scoreboard by shooting 65.4 percent (17-of-26) compared to the TexAnns' disappointing 24.0 shooting percentage from the game's first stanza.

Wheeler started the second half in the same manner she ended the first, by draining a long jump shot during the period opening minute, but it was guard Emily Brister, WTAMU's leading scorer on the year, who carried the offensive load for the Lady Buffs. The sophomore from Amarillo, who was held scoreless and limited to only four minutes during the opening period because of foul trouble, burst out of the scoreless column with 23 points as the Lady Buffs sealed the victory with a solid second half performance.

Brister was also impressive from the free throw line, where she finished the game with a perfect 10-of-10 mark and on the glass, where she tied senior Alicia Saunders for the team lead with seven rebounds.

Senior point guard Jennifer Brock also enjoyed a solid performance against TSU as the Abernathy, Texas, native did an excellent job of ball distribution by tallied a game-high nine assists to bring her team-leading season total to 93.

The Lady Buffs hit the road for their next three contests, all important LSC South Division contests. The time away from home will begin this Saturday as the team travels to Wichita Falls, Texas, to battle Midwestern State at MSU's D. L. Ligon Coliseum in a 6 p.m. contest.