| gobuffsgo.com |
|
Lady Buffs Are LSC South Champs!
Feb. 25, 2006
Lone Star Conference South Division Champions. That's the title for the 17th-ranked West Texas A&M University women's basketball team after the Lady Buffs blasted Tarleton State University, 90-57, Saturday night before a boisterous crowd of 3,260 at the First United Bank Center. The win gives the No. 1 seed to WTAMU and the right to host the LSC Tournament March 3-4, as long as the Lady Buffs win their first round game Tuesday, hosting Cameron University.
Cameron, the fourth seed from the North, will face WTAMU on Tuesday, at 6 p.m. at the First United Bank Center, preceding the WTAMU men's LSC Tournament first-round game against Southwestern Oklahoma State University at 8 p.m.
The Lady Buffs could face Tarleton State again in the semifinals, as TSU ends up as the third seed from the South, while Angelo State University is second and Texas Woman's University is the fourth seed. The winner of the WTAMU-CU game will face the winner of the TSU-Texas A&M University-Commerce first round game, as TAMU-C is the North's second seed, behind top seed Southwestern Oklahoma, while Northeastern State University is the No. 3 seed from the North.
The First United Bank Center remains a friendly place for WTAMU, as the Lady Buffs end regular season unbeaten at home with a 12-0 mark and are currently on a 16-game home winning streak dating back to last season, and have won 17 of the last 19 home games.
Junior forward Alicia Saunders set a new LSC single-season blocked shots record, as she has six on the night to give her 113 for the season, topping the previous record of 112 by Ankse Steponaviciute of Abilene Christian University in 1995-96.
Saunders registered her third straight double-double and ninth of the season by tying a game-high with 13 rebounds to go with 10 points, one of four Lady Buffs in double figures.
Senior forward Keisha Monroe, WTAMU's lone senior who was recognized during pre-game introductions as part of Senior Night festivities, shone in her final home regular season game, tallying 23 points, 15 in the second half, to go with eight rebounds.
Freshman guard Emily Brister notched her second double-double of the season with a game-high 26 points to go with a career-high 10 steals, as well as dishing out five assists and snaring eight rebounds.
Junior guard Jennifer Brock netted 15 points, including 9-of-9 at the free throw line, to accompany her game-high seven assists, part of the 22 helpers dished out on the night by WTAMU.
TSU was led by a double-double by Iveta Griffin with 17 points and 13 rebounds, but she was the only TexAnn in double-figures, the first time this season that TSU has had only one player in double-digits.
WTAMU shot 48.4 percent (30-of-62) from the field, hitting just 1-of-8 (12.5 percent) from 3-point range. However, the Lady Buffs were lethal down low, outscoring the TexAnns in the paint, 52-26, as well as holding a dominating 52-29 rebounding advantage, including 19 on the offensive glass which led to 14 second-chance points. WTAMU was 29-of-33 (87.9 percent) at the free throw line, paced by Brister's 12-of-13 effort.
The Lady Buff defense held the TexAnns to just 31.7 percent (19-of-60) shooting, as TSU hit 4-of-16 (25.0 percent) from behind the 3-point arc. The TexAnns were 15-of-27 (55.6 percent) at the charity stripe.
WTAMU also had a 18-4 edge on fast break points.
The Lady Buffs were down 7-6 until they went on a 20-5 run, capped by a 1-of-2 free throws from junior guard Natalie Wheeler at the 9:32 point of the first half and freshman guard Mariah Willis later hit a layup up for WTAMU's largest lead of the half at 32-16 with 4:02 remaining. However, TSU trimmed the gap to 11 at the half, as Katie Crawford scored five-straight points, to send the teams to intermission with the scoreboard reading 38-27 in WTAMU's favor.
An 8-0 Lady Buff burst to start the half put WTAMU ahead 46-27, after Brister hit two technical free throws and then Saunders hit a layup at the 18:08 mark.
After TSU cut the margin to 13 at 46-33 on a Griffin layup, Monroe started another 8-0 WTAMU run to push the lead to 54-33 and the Lady Buffs kept the TexAnns at bay.
Brock hit an old-fashioned three-point play at the 3:13 point to give WTAMU its first 30-point lead of the contest at 81-51, and Wheeler hit a 3-pointer with 1:13 to play for the final scoring and the Lady Buffs' largest lead of the game.
For ticket information for Tuesday's LSC Tournament first-round action, contact the WTAMU Athletics Ticket Office at 806-661-4424.
|
