SILVER CITY, N.M. – The Mustangs faced RMAC opponent, Fort Lewis, in LSC cross-over earlier this morning and took the win 69-60.
Contributing strongly in scoring to Western's 2 game winning streak was Junior returner
Eliza Joynes (Adelaide, South Australia/Henley Sports Academy), who scored 17 points in 20 min of playing time. Also scoring in double figures was Junior returner
Diamond Moore (Colorado Springs, CO/Harrison High School) (10), and Newcomer
Jade Goynes (Fort Worth, TX/North Crowley High School) (13).
The team had a combined 38 rebounds and shot 68% from the free throw line. They struggled from the arc today as they went 0-5 in the first half and shooting 50% in the 2
nd half for a total of 30.8%.
Both teams equally had the same amount of turnovers with the Skyhawks having just one more than the Mustangs, 23 in total.
Freethrows kept the Skyhawks in the game for so long as they shot 90% overall and 18-20 in the 4
th quarter alone.
"Very excited about the win today. Our team showed resiliency, but also showed our potential. We have a long way to go and a lot of work to do, but we are headed in the right direction." stated Coach Pace, who took his 2
nd season win for 2023.
The mustangs shot 43.3% from the field, while holding the Skyhawks to a 37.7% FG shooting percentage.
WNMU were persistent at cleaning the glass this morning as Goynes grabbed 7 rebounds(6 defensively), Moore grabbed 6 (5 defensively), and
Brooke Rodgers (Phoenix, Arizona/Cactus Shadows High School) grabbed 5 for herself. The team grabbed a total of 38 boards in total.
The team gave up 12 steals against Fort Lewis, but also took 6 against them.
The first quarter, WNMU would beat Fort Lewis in shooting by 10% as they went 6-12. They would allow the Skyhawks to take back the lead, but eventually ending the first half tied up 29-29.
The mustangs once again battled back and gained the lead at the end of the 3
rd quarter as they scored 18, while holding the Skyhawks to 16 points. With one quarter left to play, the mustangs seemed to run away with the rest of the game, holding Fort Lewis to a 7 point quarter deficit.
WNMU will continue their season against Sul Ross State University this Wednesday at noon in Alpine, TX, hoping to keep their streak alive.
This game recap is presented by First American Bank. First American Bank is a proud supporter of WNMU Athletics!
***
Western New Mexico University is a member of the NCAA Division II, and the Lone Star Conference (LSC). For additional information regarding Mustang Athletics, visit www.wnmumustangs.com; visit wnmu.edu for more information about Western New Mexico University. Follow the Mustangs on social media: @WNMUathletics (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok & Instagram)
