GOODWELL, Okla. – It was the first game of the season, but it already featured the back-and-forth action you see late in the year. After Oklahoma Panhandle State University took a late lead, Jade Botelho (Honolulu, HI/Iolani ) came through with a game-winning layup at the buzzer off an assist by Jordan Gutierrez (Albuquerque, NM/Valley ) sending the Western New Mexico University women's basketball team to the thrilling 61-60 victory Friday night.

"It was a team effort and I'm glad I could play my role as a post player," Botelho said following the game-winning shot.

"We were fortunate to pull this one out tonight," Head Coach Rusty Kennedy said. "I am proud of the way our players kept their composure to run a play for the game-winner!"

Holding just a slim 45-43 lead entering the fourth quarter, WNMU had the lead as high as nine at 55-46 after opening the final frame on a 10-3 run. A Desiree Smith (Phoenix, AZ/Tolleson Union ) free throw with under two minutes to play still had the Lady Mustangs ahead by four at 58-54 when OPSU made a late charge to take the lead. A pair of layups around a jumper suddenly had the Aggies looking at a 60-59 lead with just 13 seconds to play.

With it being Friday the 13^th and 13 seconds to play, it became lucky for the Lady Mustangs as after a timeout with four seconds to play, Smith found Botelho inside for the game-winning layup as time expired.

 OPSU came out shooting in the first quarter building a 9-2 advantage. WNMU snagged their first lead of the game at the 2:19 mark when My'Kale French (Racine, WI/Case ) drilled a jumper for the 12-11 lead.

That would help spark WNMU's own run as they pushed the lead to six near the end of the quarter on a layup by Megan Looney (Phoenix, AZ/Apache Junction ).

A few minutes into the second quarter the Lady Mustangs had the lead into double-figures when Smith hit a layup for the 26-15 advantage.

Similar to the way the end of the game played out, back came the Aggies before halftime as they fought back with a 16-4 run to take a 31-30 lead with two minutes to go before the break. A Deandra Williams (Rosenburg, TX/Terry ) foul shot on the ensuing possession would end up being the final points in the first half with the teams going into halftime tied at 31.

With the teams trading two-point leads to start the second half, the Aggies made the first big run near the midway point of the third quarter when they opened a 41-35 lead.

Smith, Gutierrez and Botelho all answered with points on successive possessions to give WNMU a 6-0 run to knot the game at 41 with three minutes to play in the third quarter. A Smith layup in the closing seconds of the quarter gave WNMU a 45-43 lead they would take into the back-and-forth fourth quarter.

Both teams struggled to find traction from the field with each shooting under 38 percent. OPSU connected on 24-64 (37.5), while WNMU hit on 20-64 (31.3). OPSU held the 5-2 edge on three-pointers as both teams attempted 13. The Lady Mustangs held a big advantage at the foul line attempting 17 more (30-13) than the Aggies and making 19 to 7 for OPSU. WNMU held a slight 42-39 edge on rebounds, with a solid 16-11 advantage on offensive rebounds.

Smith, in her first game with the Lady Mustangs since transferring in the offseason, led WNMU in scoring with 13, as she made 4-12 from the field and added three rebounds, two assists, a block and three steals. Gutierrez and Cristiana Yepa (Dulce, NM/Dulce ) added 11 points apiece with each connecting on three field goals and a three-pointer, while Looney in her first collegiate game reached double-digits with 10 points and she also added eight rebounds, a block, an assist and a steal.

Charron Johnson led OPSU and all-scorers going for 14 points and she also added a double-double with 12 rebounds.

WNMU will stay in Goodwell to play Texas-Permian Basin on Saturday beginning at noon Mountain Standard Time. The Falcons lost to New Mexico Highlands, 64-59, earlier today.