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TWU
Home > Student
Life > Athletics > Basketball > 2002-03
News > February 6
WEST
TEXAS A&M
DROPS TWU BY FOUR
DENTON,
TX—Texas Woman's University (7-12, 3-4
LSC) battled back from a 14-point deficit in the second half
to tie the game at 60 with six minutes left, but West Texas
A&M (14-4, 4-1 LSC) answered with some
key free throws down the stretch to win the game 68-72. Three
Pioneers recorded double-digits in points on the night with Jessica
Springer (Kirbyville, TX/Blinn College) and Julie
Prescher (Valley View, TX/Valley View H.S.) tying for
a team-high 14 points.
“Tonight, we did not execute very well and that cost
us against such a disciplined team in West Texas A&M. Our
guards should have passed the ball down low all night and they
didn't do it,” head coach Devin Gabbard said. “West
Texas would go on runs and we could answer them back when we
got the ball back to the low post, but we didn't stay with
that game plan during the entire game and it cost us a victory.”
West Texas
A&M started the game on fire, hitting eight
of their first 13 shots en route to a 6-17 lead after six minutes
of play. They extended that lead to a game-high 19 points,
14-33, after Tia Banks hit a three-pointer and short jumper
in back-to-back possessions. TWU answered back with a five
minute, 12-0 run to close the margin to seven, 26-33 at the
2:31 mark, as five different Pioneers chipped in with points. Daphne
Lyons (Flower Mound, TX/Louisiana-Monroe) hit a long
jumper in the closing seconds of the first half to make the
score 29-35 at the buzzer. TWU committed 12 turnovers, which
West Texas A&M turned into 11 points. Both teams shot the
ball well in the first frame, TWU with 42% while the Lady Buffs
hit 44% of their field goal attempts.
After
Jessica Springer hit an easy layup in the opening seconds
of the
second half to make the score 31-35, West Texas A&M
hit four straight free throws to make their lead eight after
two minutes of play. The Pioneers battled back to draw within
four points, 38-42 at the 16:38 mark, after Keshun Irving
(Karnack, TX/Tyler J.C.) finished off a 7-3 run with
her only three-pointer of the game. The Lady Buffs answered
back with a 15-5 run to move their lead to 14 points thanks
to three straight three-pointers, two by Carlee Massie and
one by Suni Jo Petty. Jennifer Ferrell (Flower Mound, TX/Paris
J.C.) would not let TWU roll over and die as she scored
six points in a 17-3 Pioneer run, which tied the game at 60
with 6:05 left. The Lady Buffs could only extend their lead
to four points at the most for the rest of the game. Irving
hit an open jumper with 27 seconds left to make the score 68-70,
but West Texas A&M hit two more free throws during the
final 20 seconds to ice the win. Meaghan Lewis (Celeste,
TX/Blinn College) and Lauri Engleman (Jewett, TX/ Leon
H.S.) both tried threes in the final seconds, but both
fell short of their mark.
TWU finished
the game hitting 25 of 60 from the field (41.7%), 5 of 18
from beyond the arc (27.8%) and 13 of 19 from the line
(68.4%). Keshun Irving was the other Pioneer who recorded double
figures in scoring as she added 10 points. Jessica Springer
was one rebound away from her third straight double double,
chipping in with a game-high nine boards to go along with her
14 points. Jennifer Ferrell added six points and four assists.
West Texas A&M also had three players in double figures
with Tia Banks recording a game-high 19 points.
Next
up, the Pioneers host Eastern New Mexico on Saturday, Feb.
8 at 3 p.m. TWU swept the Zias in conference play last
season.
--www.twuathletics.com--
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