Box Score SILVER CITY, N.M. -- The Lady Mustangs put up a strong fight Friday night.


Black Hills State started with a strong lead in the first half, holding a lead by as many as 17 points near the midway point of the half, when Western New Mexico University (WNMU) picked up momentum to barely lose, 70-63, to Black Hills State University (BHSU) in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action.


Junior Larissa Loera (Mira Loma, CA/Jurupa Valley High School) scored the first points of the game for WNMU with a jumper two minutes in leaving the score at 4-2, BHSU. The Yellow Jackets then had a 12-point streak on the mustangs, when senior Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) broke it with a jumper with 12 minutes left in the half.


Following another lengthy run by the Yellow Jackets, Wohltman again broke the streak with a jumper with six minutes left in the half to put WNMU (2-13, 1-10 RMAC) in double digits standing, 24-10.


It wasn't long after that when senior Jelesia Gray (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) stole the ball back and fellow senior Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School) made her layup shot.


With a 12-point deficit still with five minutes left in the half, sophomore Desiree Young (North Ogden, UT/Weber High School) and junior Kim Clark (Santee, CA/West Hills High School) scored back-to-back three-pointers to bring it to a nine-point game.


BHSU (5-9, 4-6 RMAC)'s Chelsea Biegler scored a three-pointer and Calli Bechtel made a layup to bring the score for the Yellow Jackets to 29. WNMU junior Veronica Celaya (Chandler, AZ/Williams Field High School) made a layup followed by a jumper and another layup by Wohltman to bring the score to 29-24 at the half.


Going into the second half, BHSU began to have another streak on the Lady Mustangs with a 16-point lead eight minutes in.
WNMU kept trying to come back with a three-pointer scored by Young followed by a jumper and three-pointer by Wohltman. Clark followed also with another jumper and senior Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) made a free throw to bring it to a three-point game of 57-54.


Over the final few minutes, the Lady Mustangs couldn't trim the deficit lower than three, falling by seven.


BHSU made 28-of-47 from the field (59.6), while WNMU made 42.2 percent (27-64). BHSU made five three-pointers to four for the Mustangs.


WNMU was led by 21 from Wohltman, while BHSU's Calli Bechtel led all-scorers with 25.


WNMU returns home to host Chadron State Saturday night at Drag's Court with game time set for 5:30 p.m.