Box Score
CANYON – The No. 24 Tarleton TexAnns came within three points of cutting a one-time 17-point deficit to No. 11 West, Texas A&M, but Tarleton was forced to foul down the stretch and never recovered, falling 74-69 to the Lady Buffs at First United Bank Center in Canyon on Saturday.
Morgan Stehling, who finished the game with a team-high 18 points, hit a jumper with :47 seconds remaining in the game that pulled the TexAnns within three points, 68-65. Turns out that would be the closest Tarleton would get as WT went 6-for-6 from the charity stripe in the final :32 seconds of the game. Tarleton would get a pair of baskets from JoAnne Jones in that time frame, but it wouldn't be enough.
The TexAnns started out strong, scoring the game's first nine points. WT wouldn't score its first bucket until the 15:22 mark, but the Lady Buffs managed to inch their way back into the game. Jamie Simmons gave WT its first lead of the game on a jumper with 9:07 remaining in the period. After each team traded baskets over the course of the next minute and half, Jones put the TexAnns back on top, 21-19, with 7:30 after a pair of free throws. WT regained the lead at 7:19 with a pair of free throws from Megan McLain. Tarleton managed to tie the game again at 27-27 with 3:40 left, but a 9-0 run from the Lady Buffs put the home team back on top 36-27 with 1:42 still to go in the first-half. WT would then take a seven-point lead into the locker room, up 38-31 at the break.
The Lady Buffs built their lead up to as many as 17 points with 14:54 remaining in the game. Tarelton then sparked a comeback over the next nine minutes and pushed the deficit to just seven points on a lay-up from Stehling that madde it a 61-54 game still in favor of the Lady Buffs with 6:16 left to play. The TexAnns were down 68-60 with 3:08 and neither team could come up with a basket of any kind over the next two minutes until Sonya Sundberg's three-pointer made it a five-point game at the 1:06 mark. Tarleton followed it up with the lay-up from Stehling to pull the game back to within three points.
With the TexAnns forced to foul, McLain and Holly Isaacs became the beneficiaries. McLain made all four of her attempts and Isaacs converted both of hers to keep the TexAnns out of striking distance.
For Tarleton, it was the eighth straight loss to the Lady Buffs and 25th overall in the all-time series. The TexAnns dropped to 15-3 overall and 2-1 in the Lone Star Conference South Division as well. WT meanwhile improved to 19-2 and 3-1 in the LSC.
Jones finished the game with 16 points going 3-for-3 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free throw line. Shelby Adamson finished with 12 points on the evening to score in double figures for the fourth straight contest. Simmons led the Lady Buffs with 24 points while three other WT players scored in double digits.
The TexAnns shot .460 percent from the field, but it wasn't enough as WT finished the game shooting .543 percent, thanks in large part to a .722 performance from the floor in the second-half.
The TexAnns will return home this Wednesday to host Abilene Christian. The TexAnns and Wildcats are scheduled to tip-off at 6 p.m. inside Wisdom Gym.
