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Feb. 26, 2004

Box Score

ABILENE, Texas - The 19th-ranked West Texas A&M University women's basketball team clinched the number one seed in the Lone Star Conference South division with a 69-66 win over Abilene Christian University Thursday at ACU's Moody Coliseum.

WTAMU's win, coupled with Angelo State University's 70-48 win over Eastern New Mexico University, clinches the top seed in the South for the Lady Buffs regardless of the outcome of Saturday's showdown at No. 17 Angelo State, meaning that the Lady Buffs will host a first-round LSC Tournament game at the WTAMU Event Center Tuesday night. If WTAMU can win that game, the Lady Buffs would host the LSC Tournament semifinals and championship game on Friday and Saturday.

Click Here for LSC Tournament ticket info.

WTAMU was led by junior forward Celeste Stevenson's fifth double-double of the season and fourth in the last five games with a game-high 18 points and tying a game-high with 12 rebounds. Fellow junior forward Vasha Adams also registered a double-double with 18 points and tying Stevenson with 12 boards. It was Adams' sixth double-double of the season and second in a row.

ACU was led by Melanie Carter's 17 points, while Ashley King added 16, followed by Stephanie Riles with 11 and Leah Wilson's 10. Lynsie Blau pulled down 11 rebounds but only scored two points, 10 below her season average.

WTAMU got off to a fast start, as senior guard Carlee Howard drained a 3-pointer just 16 seconds into the game. With that trey, Howard became WTAMU's new record holder for 3-pointers in a single-season, burying her 80th of the season and passing Lori DeShields' previous record of 79 trifectas in the 1994-95 season.

The Lady Buffs opened a 17-10 lead following a 3-pointer from junior guard Suni Jo Petty with 13:20 remaining. However, ACU cut the lead to 19-18 on a bucket by Melanie Carter at the 7:42 mark.

WTAMU then went on a 9-2 streak, capped by a pair of baskets by junior forward Celeste Stevenson, including her first 3-pointer of her career, to take a 28-20 lead with 5:33 left on the clock.

With WTAMU ahead 32-23 after another bucket from Stevenson, who had 14 points in the first half, the WTAMU bench was whistled for a technical foul at the 1:52 mark. However, ACU's Ashley King only hit one of the free throws, leaving WTAMU's lead at 32-24.

Sophomore guard Jennifer Brock gave the Lady Buffs their largest lead of the half with a pair of free throws with 1:27 on the clock to make the score 34-24.

A layup by ACU's Carter, who had 10 points in the first stanza, with 33 seconds left cut the score to 34-26 before a Wildcat steal led to a layup by Jenny Jackson that went through the net as the buzzer sounded, pulling ACU within 34-28 at halftime.

The Lady Buffs opened the second half with a basket by sophomore guard Tiffany Lewis followed by a layup from Stevenson to open a 10 point lead at 38-28 with 18:12 remaining.

The Wildcats scratched and clawed their way back, hitting eight-straight points off free throws, and then tied the game at 40-all on a layup by Carter at the 14:45 mark. ACU took the lead for the first time in the game at 44-42 on a jumper from Jamie Boles with 13:12 remaining in the game.

Howard regained the lead for the Lady Buffs at 46-44 with a 3-pointer with 11:27 left on the clock, but ACU came back to take a 51-48 lead on a pair of free throws from Leah Wilson.

Petty was fouled while hitting a flailing layup and made the resulting free throw to tie the game at 51's at the 9:00 mark.

On ACU's ensuing possession, Adams blocked a shot and took the ball coast-to-coast for a layup to give the Lady Buffs the lead for the final time at 8:36 remaining.

The Wildcats tied it at 53-all with 8:19 left on two-of-three free throws by King, but Adams responded with back-to-back buckets, getting nice passes from Lewis and Petty to take a 57-53 lead with 7:09 on the clock.

ACU pulled within one on two separate occasions but couldn't tie the score or take the lead from there on out.

Adams missed two free throws with 30.3 seconds left with WTAMU ahead 68-64, giving ACU a chance, that the Wildcats took by a layup from Stephanie Riles to pull within 68-66 with 23.4 ticks on the clock.

Lewis hit one-of-two free throws with 10.5 seconds to make the score, 69-66. Jenny Jackson's 3-pointer at the buzzer was off the mark, as the Buffs won their fifth-straight overall and sweeping the season-series with ACU.

WTAMU can't rest on its laurels as the Lady Buffs face No. 17 Angelo State on Saturday at San Angelo, Texas in a 6 p.m. tip-off.

Fans can tune into the Buffalo Sports Network on KGNC 710 AM and streamed on the Internet at www.gobuffsgo.com.

-WT-