Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Western New Mexico University Athletics

Western New Mexico University Athletics
Takiyah Lopez
Jay Hemphill, WNMU
69
Winner A&M-Commerce TAMUC 15-6, 11-2 LSC
67
Western N.M. WNMU 0-21, 0-13 LSC
Winner
A&M-Commerce TAMUC
15-6, 11-2 LSC
69
Final
67
Western N.M. WNMU
0-21, 0-13 LSC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
A&M-Commerce TAMUC 15 17 16 21 69
Western N.M. WNMU 16 15 20 16 67

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Brian Kortz

Lady Mustangs Take LSC-Leading Lady Lions Down to the Wire

SILVER CITY, N.M. – Texas A&M-Commerce came in boasting the top mark in the Lone Star Conference and were put to the test and more by the Western New Mexico University women's basketball team Thursday night. The Lady Mustangs held a late lead and it took free throws and a big steal by the Lady Lions for them to escape Silver City with the 69-67 conference win.

Neither team led by more than six the entire night and that big lead belonged to WNMU (0-21, 0-13 LSC). The Lady Mustangs even were looking at a two-point lead with under a minute to play. With the game tied at 65, junior Ciara Fields (El Paso, TX/El Dorado) attacked the paint once again and drew a foul. She promptly hit both foul shots to push the Lady Mustangs to a 67-65 lead. It was a huge game on the night for Fields as she poured in a season-high 29 points.

Holding a two-point lead with 48 seconds to play, Princess Davis slashed to the hoop and hit a running jumper to even the game at 67. She was also fouled on the play, but missed the ensuing shot and the Lady Lions retained possession on a team rebound. After a foul sent Brianna Wise to the line, she would miss the first, but make the second pushing A&M-Commerce (15-6, 11-2 LSC) to a 68-67 lead.

WNMU then ran the clock down under 10 seconds and as senior Jade Botelho (Honolulu, HI/Iolani) tried to make a move in the paint, she lost the ball and Artaejah Gay claimed the steal. She was fouled and missed both shots giving the Lady Mustangs a chance for the final shot.

Off the free throw miss and rebound, WNMU tried to push the tempo, but an errant pass was intercepted by Davis and she was fouled with just under a second to play. She split the foul shots to seal the victory.

Early on, it was evident that the Lady Mustangs came to play. Fields, senior Melody McLaughlin (Tucson, AZ/Mountain View) and junior Takiyah Lopez (El Paso, TX/Chapin) all hit three-pointers on consecutive trips to move WNMU out to their largest lead of the game at 11-6 just over two minutes in.

WNMU still held a four-point lead late in the quarter when a three by Jenna Price helped bring the Lady Lions to within one at 16-15 through the first 10 minutes.

Fields remained hot right into the second quarter, as she drained a three-pointer at the 7:29 mark to push the lead back to six at 23-17. Fields kept the lead at six on the next trip down when she hit a layup.

The Lady Lions then found their rhythm as they went on 9-0 run to take a 28-25 lead near the midway point of the quarter. The teams didn't score much the rest of the half as A&M-Commerce took a 32-31 lead into the locker room as McLaughlin closed the half with a jumper.

It was a nip-and-tuck third quarter with neither team able to pull away until Fields hit a layup and later added two from the line to move out to a five-point lead. Gay closed the quarter with a layup for the Lady Lions to keep it a three-point game into the final frame.

A&M-Commerce looked to take charge midway through the fourth when they jumped out to a 57-53 lead on a layup by Gay. WNMU kept coming back, as they pushed back in front by two on a free throw by McLaughlin.

That then set the scene for the wild finish between the teams.

Fields posted her third 20 point game of the season, as she has gone for 20 or more in three of the last five games. Not only that, she added eight rebounds to tie for the team lead. She went 7-14 from the field, 3-5 from three and 12-12 at the foul line. Botelho added 19 points and six rebounds, as she made 6-11 from the field. McLaughlin rounded out the three in double-figures with 10 points and eight rebounds. Redshirt senior Myla Woods-Brown (Roswell, NM/Roswell) dished out a team-high four assists and added five rebounds, two blocks and two steals.

Davis paced the Lady Lions with 16 points, while Gay and Brianna Wise added 13 points apiece. Price was on pace for a double-double with seven points and nine rebounds.

A&M-Commerce made 25-60 (42) from the field, 4-15 (27) from three and 15-27 (56) from the foul line. WNMU went 19-57 (33), 7-23 (30) from three and 22-23 (96) at the foul line. A&M-Commerce used fastbreak points (16-0) and bench points (29-0) to their advantage.

This meeting was a far cry from the earlier meeting back on Dec. 9 in Commerce in which the Lady Lions took the 81-40 victory.

WNMU will remain home this coming Saturday when they will face Tarleton State starting at 2 p.m. The TexAnns fell at Eastern New Mexico, 64-59, earlier tonight.
 
Print Friendly Version