SILVER CITY, NM – Tarleton women's basketball continued its impressive run to begin Lone Star Conference play with a 62-42 road victory over Western New Mexico on Thursday.

The TexAnns (4-4, 3-0) won their third straight game, and the 20-point win tonight is the largest margin of victory this season. Ikpeaku Iwobi led the TexAnns with 14 points while Bailey Wipff had 13 and Mackenzie Hailey registered her third straight double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

The TexAnns led 12-11 after the first quarter and closed out the opening frame on a 6-2 run to take the lead.
The second quarter turned the game around for Tarleton by outscoring Western New Mexico 22-14. With the score tied at 15-15, Hailey drained a jumper in the paint for a 17-15 lead and the TexAnns never trailed again. Tarleton went on a 9-0 run to build a 24-15 lead with 7:06 left in the first half. Tiara Tatum took a pass Hailey and finished the fast-break layup for the first double-digit lead at 30-19. Tarleton led 34-25 at halftime, and shot 42 percent with only three turnovers.

Tarleton came out in the third quarter and locked down on defense, limiting the Mustangs to only six points while outscoring them by 10. WNMU made a pair of free throws with 5:07 left in the quarter, and the TexAnns went on 11-0 run to close out the quarter to lead 50-31.

Wipff opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer, her third long ball of the game, for a 22-point lead. The TexAnn lead grew to a game-high 33 points on Baylee Peck's 3-point bucket. Tarleton ended the game shooting 45 percent and limited Western New Mexico to 26 percent shooting, including 20 percent in the second half.

The rebounding battle was in Tarleton's favor, as the TexAnns outrebounded the Mustangs by 18. In addition to Hailey's game-high 12 rebounds, Iwobi had 7 rebounds for the TexAnns.

Trejouir Wilson came off the bench to score eight points for Tarleton, while Travanti Downes had five points, Tiara Tatum had four and Amber Lane scored four. Hailey and Tatum each dished out a game-high four assists.

The TexAnns will look to remain perfect in LSC play as they travel to Eastern New Mexico on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 6 p.m. CST.