STEPHENVILLE – For the second time in a week, Tarleton boasted a pair of 20-point scorers as
Bailey Wipff and
Mackenzie Hailey combined for 45 points as the TexAnns won their 10
th Lone Star Conference game of the season with a 67-53 victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville Thursday.
Wipff set a new career high with 24 points on 8-13 shooting from the floor, including a 4-9 mark from downtown, and 4-4 at the charity stripe while Hailey scored 21 on 9-13 shooting from the floor, including 2-3 from the arc.
Kingsville jumped out to a quick lead over the opening four minutes, but a 3-ball by
Kylie Collins put the TexAnns on top and sparked a 7-2 surge to give the TexAnns a 14-11 lead heading into the final minute of the quarter.
The second quarter was a back-and-forth affair over the opening three minutes as Kingsville tied things up at 19-19, but Wipff answered the call as the senior sharpshooter splashed home a triple to put the TexAnns up 22-19 and start a 13-0 Tarleton run that gave the TexAnns a 32-19 lead in the final two minutes of the opening half. Kingsville scored the last bucket of the half, but the TexAnns went into the break with a 32-21 lead.
Kingsville never got closer than nine in the third quarter and only pulled as close as seven in the fourth as the TexAnns cruised to the 14-point win in Wisdom Gym.
Ikpeaku Iwobi (8),
Tiara Tatum (7), Collins (5),
Travanti Downes (1), and
Baylee Peck (1) rounded out the offense for the TexAnns, who shot .370 from the floor and .429 from downtown.
After the game, Tarleton recognized its three senior athletes – Wipff, Iwobi, and Downes – as well as its four-year student manager De'Onna Ponder. Wipff ends her career in the top three all-time in Tarleton's 3-point shot made with over 140 while Iwobi will end her Tarleton career as the second TexAnn in the NCAA era with over 800 career points and over 600 career rebounds.
Tarleton will play its final home game of the season Saturday at 2 p.m. when the TexAnns host Angelo State. It will be the TexAnns' first national broadcast as Tarleton tips off on WatchESPN.com and the ESPN App.