Box Score LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Western New Mexico University women's basketball team stayed with their in-state rivals through part of the first half before falling to New Mexico Highlands, 94-79, Saturday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


WNMU (0-25, 0-22 RMAC) opened the scoring 20 seconds in on a three by Lonnie Sanchez (Scottsdale, AZ/St. Mary's High School). The lead would get as high as five a few minutes later on a three by Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School), 8-3.


NMHU (13-13, 9-13 RMAC) came back to open a six-point lead, but the Mustangs came back behind four points from Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) and a jumper by Sanchez to tie the game at 21 midway through the first half.


The Cowgirls then closed the half strong, as they outscored the Mustangs by 12 to take a 51-39 lead into the locker room.


WNMU would get the lead under double-digits a couple of times with the last occurring at the 15:07 mark on a layup by Scott that left NMHU ahead by nine, 56-47, but the Cowgirls would push the lead back over 10 on their next trip down the floor and never looked back.


Four Mustangs scored in double-figures led by 17 from Wohltman, followed by 13 from Sanchez, 12 from Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) and 10 from Sasha Montez (Waianae, HI/Nanakuli High School). For Sanchez and Tucker, it was their last games as Mustangs.


Alyssa Lopez had a night for the Cowgirls, as she went for 38 points and 11 rebounds.

 
Western New Mexico vs New Mexico Highlands
2/25/12 6:00 p.m. at Las Vegas, N.M.
At Las Vegas, N.M.
NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS 94, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 79
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (0-25; 0-22 RMAC)
Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) 7-10 4-7 19; Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) 7-13 0-0 17; Lonnie Sanchez (Scottsdale, AZ/St. Mary's High School) 5-6
0-1 13; Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) 4-15 0-0 12; Sasha Montez (Waianae, HI/Nanakuli High School) 5-7 0-0 10; Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School)
2-3 0-2 4; Larissa Loera (Mira Loma, CA/Jurupa Valley High School) 1-7 2-4 4; Kim Clark (Santee, CA/West Hills High School) 0-0 0-0 0; Desiree Young (North Ogden, UT/Weber High School) 0-0
0-1 0; Susie Guerrero (Willcox, AZ/Willcox High School) 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 31-63 6-15 79.
NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS (13-13; 9-13 RMAC)
Alyssa Lopez 10-19 17-25 38; Trish Simpson 6-6 3-6 15; Dominique Rivera 5-9
4-4 14; China Smith 3-10 7-10 13; Ashley Godfrey 2-6 1-2 6; Eboni Jacobs 0-0
4-4 4; Brittany Neeley 2-7 0-0 4; T. Denson-Griffin 0-0 0-0 0; Ashley
Zaragoza 0-2 0-0 0; Katie Gannon 0-0 0-0 0; Whitley Coca 0-0 0-0 0; Debbie
Chavez 0-0 0-0 0; Ivana Vidal 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 28-60 36-51 94.
Western New Mexico............   39   40  -   79
New Mexico Highlands..........   51   43  -   94
3-point goals--Western New Mexico 11-20 (Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) 4-9; Lonnie Sanchez (Scottsdale, AZ/St. Mary's High School)
3-3; Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) 3-6; Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) 1-2), New Mexico Highlands 2-9
(Alyssa Lopez 1-3; Ashley Godfrey 1-3; Dominique Rivera 0-1; Brittany Neeley
0-1; Ivana Vidal 0-1). Fouled out--Western New Mexico-Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School), New
Mexico Highlands-None. Rebounds--Western New Mexico 25 (Sasha Montez (Waianae, HI/Nanakuli High School) 4;
Larissa Loera (Mira Loma, CA/Jurupa Valley High School) 4), New Mexico Highlands 52 (Alyssa Lopez 11).
Assists--Western New Mexico 13 (Amanda Tucker (Las Cruces, NM/Mayfield High School) 5), New Mexico Highlands 9
(Alyssa Lopez 3). Total fouls--Western New Mexico 29, New Mexico Highlands
16. Technical fouls--Western New Mexico-Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School), New Mexico
Highlands-None. A-589