SILVER CITY, New Mexico – The No. 19 Angelo State women's basketball team won its regular season finale 93-80 over Western New Mexico and with Eastern New Mexico's loss, earned a share of its first Lone Star Conference Championship since 2005 on Saturday afternoon.
The Belles (22-4, 16-4 LSC) made 49.3 percent from the field and dominated in the paint by a score of 56-28. The Mustangs (5-22, 1-19 LSC) hit 12 three pointers and outscored ASU 34-25 in the third quarter. ASU scored 16 points off 10 rebounds and 16 second chance points. The Belles outrebounded WNMU 49-38.
"I'm so proud to be able to say that this team is the LSC Champions," Angelo State head women's basketball coach Kevin Baker said. "They deserve it. They worked very hard all season to earn this. They set a goal at the beginning of the year and accomplished it!
Taylor Dorsey scored a team-high 26 points. She has scored at least 20 points in 12 games this season. The senior also added seven rebounds and five assists. Five other Belles scored in double figures. Bria Frierson chipped in 14 points and Christina Robinson and Jasmin Prophet scored 12 point each. Keanna Kelly and Lexi Murphy each added 11 points each.
The Belles' 17-point lead in the third quarter had dwindled to just one at 69-68 with 9:25 to go in the fourth quarter. The Belles responded with a 15-5 to increase the advantage to 84-73 with 4:08 to go in the game. ASU held WNMU to just seven points over the final 4:08 to secure the 93-80 victory.
ASU built on its 44-30 halftime lead with a 7-2 run to take its largest lead at 51-34 with 8:17 to go in the third quarter. WNMU would hit five 3-pointers over the next six minute to trim ASU's lead to 63-57. The two teams would trade buckets until Jordan Gutierrez hit a 3-pointer to end the quarter with ASU up only 69-64.
The Belles started the game on a 13-2 run with Taylor Dorsey draining three 3-pointers. Keanna Kelly answered a WNMU bucket with a three of her own to make it 16-4. The Mustangs scored 10 straight points to trim the deficit to 16-14 and the two teams traded buckets with ASU only leading 18-16 at the end of the first quarter.
The two teams went back and forth over the first four minutes of the second quarter with the Belles holding a 29-25 advantage. A quick 9-0 run with eight points coming by layups increased the lead to 38-25. A WNMU three-pointer was answered with a Prophet jumper and a Madi Greenwood three pointer to push the Belles on top 43-28. ASU took a 44-30 lead into the break.
Jordan Gutierrez scored a game-high 27 points and Keshaun Clark added 17 for WNMU.
The Belles will head into the LSC Tournament as the No. 2 seed and will face Cameron on Thursday, March 2 at 12 p.m. in Allen, Texas.
