Box Score SILVER CITY, N.M. -- The Western New Mexico University women's basketball team took a one-point halftime lead against Western State College, but the Mountaineers opened the second half on a 8-0 run on their way to a 79-70 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory Saturday night inside Drag's Court.
 

It was tight throughout the first half, as Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) began to get her big night going seven minutes in with a three-pointer that put WNMU (0-7, 0-4 RMAC) in front 7-5. That was the first of what would be 23 points on the night for Scott.

 
That would start a streak of scoring for the Mustangs, as Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School) followed that with a pair of free throws and after Scott connected on a pair from the charity stripe, WNMU moved ahead by six, 11-5, near the midway point of the first half.

 
WSC (5-5, 4-0 RMAC) quickly answered and in a big way, reeling off an 11-0 run to pull in front 16-11 at the 6:38 mark.

 
The lead remained at five for WSC a few minutes later when WNMU answered with their own lengthy run.

 
Scott started it with a three-pointer off the fastbreak and then after Jelesia Gray (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) pulled down a tough rebound inside, Scott got loose for another trey, this one from the wing to put WNMU in front by one.
 

Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) wasn't to be left out on the three-point barrage, as she connected on one of her patented catch-and-release three-pointers from the wing to put the Mustangs ahead by four, 23-19, at the 4:38 mark.
 

WNMU would extend the lead to five a little later on as Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) led Gray perfectly on an entry pass for the layup to make it a 28-23 lead.
 

The Mountaineers outscored the Mustangs by four over the final few minutes of the half, but WNMU still took a 32-31 lead into the locker room.
 

That's when WSC came out on fire, connecting on a pair of three-pointers and then another jumper in the paint to erase the one-point deficit and take a seven-point lead just a minute-and-a-half into the second stanza.
 

The run would continue for WSC, as after WNMU chipped the deficit back down to nine on a basket by Scott, the Mountaineers rolled off the next seven points for a 51-35 lead at the 14:26 mark.
 

WNMU refused to go away, as they brought the home crowd back into it midway through the second half.

 
Trailing by 14, Wohltman nailed a jumper, which Tucker followed with a tough runner in the paint the cut the lead down to 10.
 

Scott then converted a difficult runner in the paint, while also being fouled. She made the foul shot to trim the lead to seven, 54-47, near the midway point of the second half.
 

After WSC countered with a pair of free throws, Gray pounded inside for a layup and then she helped on the defensive end with a block that led to Tucker being fouled and converting a pair from the line leaving the Mustangs behind by just five, 56-51, with 9:24 to play.

 
Gray continued her strong play and the Mustangs rode the momentum, as she pulled down a defensive board on one end, then raced down to hit a jumper in the paint to trim the deficit to just three, 56-53.

 
The Mountaineers responded again, as Nikki Trujillo drained a three and then later hit another one at the 7:46 mark to push the lead back into double-digits, 64-54.
 

WNMU had one last run left in them, as trailing by 11, Gray posted a layup and then after two free throwsfrom Hamilton the Mustangs were within seven, 67-60, at the 4:47 mark.

 
WNMU got to within six just under a minute later on a jumper by Wohltman with 3:57 left and WSC ahead 68-62.

 
That would be as close as the Mustangs would get the rest of the way as WSC scored the next three points offfoul shots to boost the lead to nine and twice got the deficit back down to six, but couldn't quite come allthe way back.

 
Scott led all-scorers with her 23 points, going 6-of-12 from the field, including a 4-of-6 effort from downtown. Wohltman was second in scoring with 17 points and three, three-pointers, while Gray tallied a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

 
WNMU shot better than WSC from the field hitting 23-of-56 (41.1), while holding WSC to a 37.1 effort (23-62).

 
WNMU will return to action this coming Friday when they will play at CSU-Pueblo with gametime set for 5:30 p.m.

 
Western State vs Western New Mexico
12/10/11 5:32 pm at Silver City, NM (Drag's Court)
At Silver City, NM (Drag's Court)
WESTERN STATE 79, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 70
WESTERN STATE (5-5, 4-0 RMAC)
Nikki Trujillo 6-16 5-7 21; Brooke Pendergraft 7-22 0-0 16; Katie Hall 3-3
4-6 10; Jessica Lankston 2-7 4-6 10; Jaylan Spencer 1-4 6-6 8; Cara
Walderman 2-2 2-2 6; Taylor Murray 1-4 1-2 4; Michelle Dobbs 1-2 0-0 3;
Krista Cona 0-0 1-2 1; Sarah Smith 0-2 0-0 0; Jade McIntosh 0-0 0-0 0; Angie
Andenucio 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-62 23-31 79.
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (0-7, 0-4 RMAC)
Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) 6-12 7-10 23; Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) 7-14 0-0 17; Jelesia Gray (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 6-9 3-4
15; Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School) 2-7 4-4 8; Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) 2-5 3-3 7; Lonnie Sanchez (Scottsdale, AZ/St. Mary's High School) 0-4
0-0 0; Kim Clark (Santee, CA/West Hills High School) 0-4 0-0 0; Desiree Young (North Ogden, UT/Weber High School) 0-0 0-0 0; Larissa Loera (Mira Loma, CA/Jurupa Valley High School) 0-1 0-0
0. Totals 23-56 17-21 70.
Western State.................   31   48  -   79
Western New Mexico............   32   38  -   70
3-point goals--Western State 10-28 (Nikki Trujillo 4-11; Jessica Lankston
2-6; Brooke Pendergraft 2-7; Michelle Dobbs 1-2; Taylor Murray 1-2), Western
New Mexico 7-17 (Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) 4-6; Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) 3-6; Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) 0-1;
Lonnie Sanchez (Scottsdale, AZ/St. Mary's High School) 0-2; Kim Clark (Santee, CA/West Hills High School) 0-2). Fouled out--Western State-None, Western
New Mexico-Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School). Rebounds--Western State 47 (Katie Hall 14),
Western New Mexico 31 (Jelesia Gray (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) 10). Assists--Western State 20 (Jessica
Lankston 7), Western New Mexico 14 (Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) 8). Total fouls--Western
State 15, Western New Mexico 22. Technical fouls--Western State-None,
Western New Mexico-None. A-327