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Western New Mexico University Athletics

Western New Mexico University Athletics
Jade Botelho
Jay Hemphill, WNMU
59
Western N.M. WNMU 0-19 (0-11)
77
Winner UT Permian Basin UTPB 6-13 (4-7)
Western N.M. WNMU
0-19 (0-11)
59
Final
77
UT Permian Basin UTPB
6-13 (4-7)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Western N.M. WNMU 18 12 15 14 59
UT Permian Basin UTPB 25 13 28 11 77

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Brian Kortz

Three Score in Double-Figures, Led by Double-Double from Botelho at Falcons

ODESSA, Texas – Senior Jade Botelho (Honolulu, HI/Iolani) helped pace three Lady Mustangs in double-figures as she scored 19 points and added a double-double with 10 rebounds. Junior Ciara Fields (El Paso, TX/El Dorado) and senior Melody McLaughlin (Tucson, AZ/Mountain View) also scored in double-figures. UT Permian Basin used big first and third quarters to pull away from the Western New Mexico University women's basketball team collecting the 77-59 Lone Star Conference victory Thursday night.

The score nearly mirrored the earlier meeting this season in Silver City between the teams as UT Permian Basin also won that game by a score of 69-54.

Botelho went 8-13 from the field and also added an assist in recording her second double-double of the season with the first coming back on Jan. 6 at home against Texas Woman's (10 points and 10 rebounds). Fields was efficient as well in scoring her 16 points, she connected on 6-11 from the field and added three rebounds and a steal. McLaughlin went 4-6 from the field for her 12 points. She grabbed three rebounds, dished out two assists and swiped a pair of steals.

WNMU (0-19, 0-11 LSC) shot well from the field making 20-45 (44). But struggled from three making just 1-11 (9) and at the foul line connecting on 18-29 (62).

Victoria Lopez, the speedy guard for the Falcons (6-13, 4-7 LSC) was tough to track down as she went for a game-high 21 points in just 22 minutes of action. She went 8-14 from the field and 4-7 from deep. Three others also reached double-figures in Khali Pippins-Tryon (16), Kayla Bretherton (11) and Sierra LaGrande (10).

UTPB had similar results from the field, as they also shot well making 29-61 (48), 8-24 (33) from three and 11-18 (61) at the foul line.

Early on, the Lady Mustangs used a 4-0 run to snag their first lead of the game. Botelho and McLaughlin scored nine seconds apart for a 6-4 advantage. A Fields layup near the midway point of the first quarter helped keep the game tied at 10.

A 5-0 run helped erase a four-point UTPB lead with Botelho starting the run with a jumper. After junior Takiyah Lopez (El Paso, TX/Chapin) hit a free throw, Botelho closed the run with a jumper at the 2:35 mark for the 15-14 WNMU lead.

The Falcons then exploded the rest of the opening quarter using an 11-4 run to open up a 25-18 lead after the first 10 minutes.

UTPB kept the run going into the second quarter, as they scored the first six points to open up a 31-18 advantage with 6:49 to go before halftime.

The Lady Mustangs got on a pair of runs before halftime to cut the deficit under 10, first with a pair of free throws by McLaughlin and then a jumper by Botelho made it a seven-point spread. Right before the break, freshman Jenika Padilla (Las Vegas, NM/West Las Vegas) hit two from the line to leave the Falcons with a 38-30 lead at halftime.

The Falcons then had their biggest quarter of the game come in the third when they used a 28-15 scoring advantage to put the game out of reach. WNMU fought back to within 12 on a pair of occasions, both on baskets by Fields, but it was too much UTPB. The Falcons closed the quarter on a 11-4 run over the final three minutes to open up a 66-45 lead, their largest of the game.

A Fields jumper midway through the fourth quarter got WNMU as close as they could get the rest of the way at 68-53 before UTPB would go on to take the 18-point victory.

The Falcons held the edge on points off turnovers (22-13), second-chance points (12-7), bench points (23-2), points in the paint (32-26) and fastbreak points (6-4).

WNMU will travel to Canyon, Texas to face No. 17 West Texas A&M on Saturday starting at 2 p.m. Central Time.  The Lady Buffs fell in overtime 73-71 earlier tonight against Eastern New Mexico for their third straight loss, all at home.
 
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