SAN ANTONIO, Texas – At the conclusion of a back-and-forth affair that involved 16 lead changes, the Angelo State women's basketball team was able to grit out a 56-55 victory over St. Mary's Thursday evening in San Antonio.
 
The Rambelles match their win total from last season in just their 18^th game of the year and are now 15-3 overall and 10-2 in Lone Star Conference action. The Rattlers fall to 6-11 on the season and now sit 2-9 in conference play.
 
40 MINUTE RUNDOWN

• Sawyer Lloyd made a fast break layup to put the Rambelles ahead 6-5 after a slow start to the game in San Antonio.
• Lloyd and freshman Keniah Williams made buckets down the stretch as the Rambelles went into quarter two trailing 11-10 after committing seven turnovers in the first ten minutes.
• The hosts jumped ahead by six before Madeline Stephens and Landry Morrow each made baskets to bring the lead back within two possessions, 18-14 with seven minutes remaining in the first half.
• The Morrow bucket started a 9-0 run for the Rambelles helping them grab the lead back, 21-18, with just over a minute before the break.
• Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant made a layup down the stretch to give the Rambelles a 23-22 lead halfway through the contest.
• The teams would go back and forth in the first five minutes of the second half, with six lead changes that saw the Rambelles ahead 32-31 for a moment.
• The Rattlers and Rambelles continued battling down the stretch, Stephens drained a three with 25 seconds to go as the teams entered the fourth tied at 39.
• Kyla Cobb hit a triple and McGhee-Pleasant made another layup to put the Rambelles up five as they held StMU scoreless in the first three minutes of the final frame.
• Stephens converted on a three point play to give the Rambelles their largest lead of the game, leading 50-40 with 6:24 to go.
• Four straight turnovers gave the Rattlers a way back into the contest, tying the game 50-50 after ten straight points.
• Stephens put the Rambelles up 56-54 with 45 seconds remaining, then chaos ensued. The teams went a combined 1-6 from the free throw line in the last minute as the Rambelles escaped with a 56-55 victory.

 
GAME STATS

• McGhee-Pleasant led all scorers with 20 points on the evening, her fourth game this season scoring at least 20 points.
• Stephens made clutch baskets for the Rambelles and finished with 16 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
• Lloyd scored all eight of her points in the first half, but helped out in other departments as well, finishing with eight rebounds, six steals, and five assists.
• Briley Merket scored five in the contest including two late free throws that proved pivotal in the game's outcome.
• The Rambelles shot 39 percent from the field, limiting the Rattlers to just 35 percent on their 54 shots.
• The struggles from the free throw line continued to haunt the Rambelles as they shot only 56 percent, 5-9, from the charity stripe.
• The Rambelles held the slightest of edges in the rebounding department, grabbing 38 to the Rattlers 37.

 
NEXT UP
The Rambelles make the short trip over to Austin for their next game, squaring off with St. Edward's on Saturday, Jan. 21^st at 1 p.m.