CANYON, Texas – The No. 24 Angelo State women's basketball team lost 71-62 to No. 25 West Texas A&M in Canyon on Saturday afternoon.
The Belles (19-5, 14-4 LSC) has an 11-game win streak snapped after struggling to shoot only 31.9 percent from the field. The Lady Buffs (22-4, 14-4 LSC) scored 42 points in the paint compared to just 26 for ASU. WT also hit 44.8 percent from the field and outrebounded the Belles 46-34.
Four Belles scored in double figures led by 14 from Marquita Daniels. Dezirae Hampton added 13 poitns while De'Anira Moore chipped in 11 points with nine rebounds. Madi Greenwood had 10 points with three assists and Ekiya Gray finished with eight points and eight rebounds.
The Belles led throughout the first quarter after starting the game on a 7-2 run. WT responded with a 6-0 run to take the lead back at 8-7. Hampton scored an old fashioned three point player after being fouled on a layup to spark a 7-0 run to make the score 15-8. The Lady Buffs made it a two point game with 2:15 to go in the first quarter but Gray and Greenwood scored in back-to-back possessions. ASU would lead 19-15 after one quarter.
The Lady Buffs scored five of the first seven points to start the second quarter and tie the game at 21. Tied again at 25, Mikayla Blount drained a 3-pointer to go up 28-25 with 3:22 left in the first half. It would be the final points ASU would score until a layup at the end of the half. WT would score nine straight points before Greenwood's layup at the buzzer and free throw to make it 34-31.
Down 42-35 three minutes into the third quarter, Daniels hit a 3-pointer followed by a Hampton layup made it 42-40. WT scored the next four points and would lead by six until a jumper by Hampton hit a jumper to make it 48-44 going into the fourth quarter.
The Lady Buffs scored the first five points of the fourth quarter to build their lead to 53-44. Hampton's jumper at the 8:39 marked sparked a 13-2 ASU run highlighted by a 3-pointers from Daniels and Greenwood to give the lead back to ASU at 57-55. WT would score the next five points and retake a 60-58 advantage they wouldn't relinquish. The Belles would get as close at 62-60 with 1:30 to go in the fourth after a pair of Gray free throws. The Lady Buffs answered by scoring nine of the last 11 points to secure the 71-62 win.
The Belles will host their final two games of the regular season against Eastern New Mexico on Thursday, Feb. 22 at 5:30 p.m. and senior day on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. against Western New Mexico.
