Feb. 13, 2006

Freshman guard Emily Brister of the 19th-ranked West Texas A&M University Lady Buff basketball team was named the Lone Star Conference South Division Player of the Week on Monday (Feb. 13) by the conference office, for her performances in leading WTAMU to three victories last week.

Brister, a 5-9 freshman guard from Amarillo, Texas (Amarillo HS), averaged 20.7 points, 4.3 steals and 8.0 rebounds in WTAMU's three wins last week, helping the Lady Buffs remain in a tie atop the LSC South standings.

She hit 21-of-40 (52.5 percent) from the field, including 8-of-19 (42.1 percent) from behind the 3-point arc. Brister began the week by hitting 24 points for the third game in a row on Monday in the Lady Buffs' 82-78 win at Eastern New Mexico University, then tallied 15 points in WTAMU's 73-59 win over Texas Woman's University Thursday at Denton, Texas. In Saturday's 80-52 win over TAMU-Kingsville, she netted 23 points, hitting 8-of-11 (.727) from the field, including 2-of-3 (.667) behind the arc, as well as swiping five steals.

On the season, Brister leads WTAMU as well as the LSC and is eighth in the NCAA-II in scoring, netting 21.8 ppg, along with 2.8 assists, which ranks her 14th in the LSC, and 5.6 rebounds per game. Brister is fourth in the conference in 3-point FG made, hitting 2.35 per game (54-of-142, .380), which is good for eighth in the league and 50th in the nation. From the free throw line, Brister is a team-best 83.7 percent (139-of-166), ranking sixth in the league and 38th in the nation in FT percentage and leading the conference in both free throws made and attempted. Brister scored 24 points in three games, most recently against Eastern New Mexico on Monday. She then tallied 15 points in WTAMU's 73-59 win over Texas Woman's on Thursday. In Saturday's 80-52 win over TAMU-K, she netted 23 points, hitting 8-of-11 (.727) from the field, including 2-of-3 (.667) behind the arc, as well as swiping five steals.

With 501 points on the season, Brister needs just 112 more points to reach No. 5 on WTAMU's single-season scoring list, as Pat McDonald is currently No. 5 with 611 points in the 1991-92 season. Rhonda Kimbrough is No. 1 with 756 points in the 1981-82 season.

Brister also garnered the LSC South Player of the Week Award on Dec. 5, for her performances on Dec. 1 and Dec. 3. Brister has three 30+ point outings, including a career-high 38 points against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Dec. 3. Brister also has seven games with at least five steals, including a career-high nine in the same game against Southwestern Oklahoma.

WTAMU is 20-3 on the season and 9-1 in LSC South action, as the Lady Buffs have reached the 20-win plateau for the 19th time under head coach Bob Schneider. This is WTAMU's fourth-straight 20-win season, as they have reached the milestone for the 19th time in Schneider's 25 years guiding the Lady Buffs.

The win also kept WTAMU in a tie atop the LSC South standings, which became a two-way tie after Angelo State University won 63-56 over Tarleton State University, who was part of the tie for first, Saturday night at San Angelo, Texas.

It was also WTAMU's sixth-straight win over TAMU-K, as the Lady Buffs now hold a 37-7 all-time series advantage. WTAMU emerged victorious from Kingsville for the third-straight time after losing in the previous five trips.

WTAMU hosts one of its final two regular-season home games on Tuesday, Feb. 14, taking on Abilene Christian University in an LSC South clash at 6 p.m.

ACU is 10-13 overall, 4-6 in LSC South play after topping Midwestern State University, 62-52, Saturday night.

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

-WT-