March 19, 2006

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West Texas A&M University women's basketball player Alicia Saunders is featured in this week's Sports Illustrated's "Faces In The Crowd" Section, as the junior forward is recognized for her Lone Star Conference single-season blocked shots record.

Saunders, a 6-5 junior forward from Kansas City, Mo., swatted 134 shots this season, establishing a new LSC and WTAMU single-season blocked shot record. Saunders led not only the LSC, but NCAA-II in blocked shots and blocks per game (4.2 bpg), as well as leading the conference and ranking 29th in the country in rebounding with 9.5 rebounds per game. She also averaged 8.5 ppg, and posted 11 double-doubles and one triple-double on the season, swatting an LSC single-game record 12 shots, to go with a career-high 17 rebounds and 10 points on Jan. 14 in WTAMU's win over East Central University.

Saunders helped WTAMU to a 28-4 record, the most wins since 1996-97, having its season-long 13-game winning streak snapped in the NCAA-II South Central Regional Semifinals, falling to Emporia State University, who went on to win the regional and advance to the Elite Eight.

WTAMU also won the LSC Championship, the Lady Buffs' conference-record eighth LSC title. This was the 19th season under head coach Bob Schneider that the Lady Buffs have reached the 20-win milestone.

-WT-