Nov. 15, 2009

Box Score

CANYON, Texas – The #10-ranked West Texas A&M Lady Buffs won their first match of the season against Incarnate Word in their home opener with a final score of 59-50.

The win starts the Lady Buffs at 1-0 while Incarnate Word starts their season at 0-1.

“It is great to get a win under our belts in our first game,” said WT head coach Krista Gerlich.  “I think I was more nervous and wound up than what the girls were.  We have a lot of new faces on our team this year, but they are a lot of talented new faces, and it’s just a matter of time until they really mesh as a team.

The Lady Buffs starting lineup featured all returning players, but new faces were quickly thrown into the mix. WT was the first with points on the board as Joni Unruh (Jr., G, Amarillo, Texas) hit a fastbreak layup. The team led by as many as 11 points, entering halftime with a six point lead, 35-29.

Newcomer Jamie Simmons (So., F, Houston, Texas) led the first half in scoring for the Lady Buffs with six points, followed by Megan McLain (Jr., G, Channing, Texas) with five points, and Unruh, Ashley Leven (So., F, Amarillo, Texas), Aly Sherman (So., G, Mt. Vernon, Texas), and Cara Lambert (Jr., C, Broomfield, Colo.) with four points each.

The second half began with Incarnate Word scoring the first points, and the Lady Buffs picking up three quick fouls. Holly Isaacs (Sr., G, Brownfield, Texas) hit a three-pointer from the wing to give the Lady Buffs a seven point lead for the start of the half.

Both teams scored back-and-forth through the end of the game, with Incarnate Word outscoring the Lady Buffs by three points in the second half, but it wasn’t enough as WT maintained their lead and finished with a score of 59-50.

In her debut as a Lady Buff, Simmons recorded a double-double, leading the team in points and rebounds with 18 points and 10 boards. She was 6-11 from the field, 1-2 from behind the arc, and 5-5 from the charity stripe. She also added two blocks.

Unruh, Leven, and Sherman each recorded six points and Ceciley Johnson (Sr., C, Berkeley, Calif.) came in with five rebounds.

“We were able to get a lot of players in to the game today, and we had a lot of contributors.  I thought our defensive pressure was good, especially in the first half.  We’ll continue to work to improve, but it is very good to get a win in our first game of the season.” 

The Lady Buffs continue their season on the road at the Al Kaly Classic tournament in Pueblo, Colo., on Nov. 20 and 21. The begin tournament action against Metro State at 2:00 p.m. CT.