SILVER CITY, NM  — Western New Mexico (1-23, 1-17 Lone Star) faced a tough loss against St. Mary's University (TX) (15-9, 10-8 Lone Star) with a final score of 65-46 at Drag's Court. The Mustangs managed to score 19 points off turnovers but couldn't keep up with the Rattlers' 11 three-pointers.

Western NM started strong in the first quarter, grabbing an early lead with Cieara Dinwiddie's (Porter, TX/Porter High School) 3-pointer at 9:22, set up by Naomi Kimble (Animas, NM/Animas High School). The Mustangs kept it competitive through much of the quarter, as Dinwiddie hit another 3-pointer at 8:09. However, St. Mary's found their rhythm and pulled ahead with effective shooting. Despite Dinwiddie's buzzer-beater 3, assisted by Jordan Sapien (El Paso, TX/Pebble Hills High School), Western NM ended the quarter trailing 20-13.

In the second quarter, Western NM shifted focus to the paint, with Teeya Gordon (Alamogordo, NM/Alamogordo High School) leading the charge. Gordon was a force, scoring on multiple second-chance opportunities and grabbing offensive rebounds. Even with these efforts, the Rattlers' consistent 3-point shooting extended their lead, closing the quarter with Western NM behind at 41-25.

Western NM came out strong in the third quarter, with Gordon's layup at 9:28 cutting into the Rattlers' advantage. Sapien's sharp shooting, highlighted by a key 3-pointer at 3:33 assisted by Tess Taylor (Huffman, TX/Hargrave High School), kept the pressure on. Capitalizing on turnovers and fast breaks, Sapien added a fast-break layup with 29 seconds left, helping the Mustangs close the gap. The quarter ended with St. Mary's ahead 51-38.

In the fourth quarter, Western NM brought defensive intensity, marked by Sapien's steal and fast-break layup at 7:48, narrowing the score to 51–40. Despite their efforts, the Rattlers pulled away with a scoring burst, including a three-pointer from Aina Maynou at 7:15. Western NM struggled offensively, shooting 3-for-17 from the field, but Sapien chipped in a late 3-pointer and layup in the final minute. The game wrapped up with St. Mary's securing the win, 65–46.

Gordon delivered a standout performance with 18 points and 14 rebounds, leading the Mustangs in both categories. Sapien added 14 points and three steals, contributing on both ends of the court. Dinwiddie notched nine points, all from three-point territory, before fouling out. Brelee Nichols (Huffman, TX/Hargrave High School) made her mark defensively with four steals and five rebounds.

For St. Mary's, Maynou was on fire, scoring 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc. Raynne Malik also made an impact with 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Allie Garcia added nine points and two assists, while Christin Callens contributed eight points and three rebounds. Brianna Vargas chipped in six points, hitting two of four from downtown.

The Mustangs are now 1-23 overall and 1-17 in Lone Star play. The Rattlers move to 15-9 overall and 10-8 in conference action.

Next up, Western NM hits the road to take on Lubbock Christian on Thursday, Feb. 26 in Lubbock, Texas at 4:30pm MT. 
 

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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).