SILVER CITY, NM  — The WNMU Mustangs (0-19, 0-13 Lone Star) faced a tough challenge against Texas A&M International University, falling 80-62 at Drag's Court. The Dustdevils capitalized on 29 points off turnovers to secure the win.

The Mustangs put up a fight with 19 second-chance points, but the Dustdevils' 44-36 rebounding advantage proved too much to overcome.

Western New Mexico kicked off with a solid defensive showing, highlighted by Teeya Gordon's (Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo High School) block at 8:45. Tess Taylor's (Huffman, TX/Hargrave High School) 3-pointer, assisted by WynterRose Sheka (Tohatchi, NM/Tohatchi High School), brought the score to 5-5 at 6:29. However, a string of turnovers allowed Texas A&M International to pull ahead with efficient free-throw shooting and a late layup by Racheal Emmanuel, ending the first quarter with the Mustangs trailing 22-12.

The Mustangs found some momentum in the second quarter, thanks to Jordan Sapien's (El Paso, TX/Pebble Hills High School) back-to-back 3-pointers, cutting the deficit to 7 points. Despite this effort, the Dustdevils maintained their lead with offensive rebounds and points in the paint. The quarter wrapped up with the Mustangs down 41–27 after Taylor's free throws kept them in the game.

Western NM gained ground early in the third quarter with a 3-pointer from Sheka, assisted by Sapien, bringing the gap to 11 points. Brelee Nichols (Huffman, TX/Hargrave High School) made her mark with a layup at 6:35, though she missed the subsequent free throw. Taylor's fast-break layup at 2:25 kept the Mustangs in the fight.

The Dustdevils pressed on, but the Mustangs closed the quarter strong with Jacqueline Aguayo's (Deming, NM/Deming High School) 3-pointer, assisted by Cieara Dinwiddie (Porter, TX/Porter High School), narrowing the overall deficit to 56–46 after outscoring Texas A&M International 19–15 in the third.

Facing a challenging fourth quarter, Western New Mexico struggled to close the gap despite an early push by Taylor, who scored inside at 7:55 to bring the score to 61-48. Gordon's layup and free throw at 6:03 narrowed it further to 63-54. However, Texas A&M International pulled away with consistent scoring, including a fast break layup by Dacia Jones at 3:38.

Sapien added two free throws with 20 seconds left, but the Mustangs couldn't overcome the Dustdevils' offensive pressure. The Dustdevils outscored Western NM 24-16 in the final quarter, sealing the 80-62 victory.

Taylor led the Mustangs with 19 points, shooting 8 of 14 from the field and grabbing five rebounds. Sapien chipped in 16 points, making 8 of 9 free throws and handing out four assists. Gordon contributed nine points, three blocks, and nine rebounds, while Nichols grabbed seven rebounds and two steals before fouling out.

Bridgette Tello led the Dustdevils with 14 points and dominated the boards with 10 rebounds, adding three blocks and two steals. Jayden Smallwood contributed 16 points and six assists, along with three steals. Jones added 13 points and three steals, while Carmen Morcillo hit three 3-pointers for nine points. Jaela Wade matched the defensive effort with three steals and 10 points.

The Mustangs are now 0-19 overall and 0-13 in Lone Star play. The Dustdevils improve to 11-7 overall with an 8-4 Lone Star record.

Next up, Western New Mexico heads to San Angelo, Texas, for a road matchup against Angelo State on Thursday, Feb. 5 at 4:30 pm.
 

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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 (X, TikTok & Instagram).