The WTAMU Lady Buffs basketball team played their first home games of the season on Nov. 25 and 26 at the First United Bank Center. The team played in the Roberts Ditching Thanksgiving Classic, playing the No. 5-ranked Metro State College on Friday and St. Mary’s on Saturday night.
The Lady Buffs had a tough challenge on Friday night against Metro State College, but came extremely close to beating the team.
The game started with MSC drawing first blood, grabbing a 12-2 run early before WT senior Joni Unruh scored on a pair of free throws. Kenisha Harris followed up Unruh, getting the Lady Buffs within six points of their opponent. However, the Roadrunners fought back, making it a 14-6 game with 14:11 left in the first.The Lady Buffs finally grabbed a 22-20 lead with nine minutes left in the first, but MSC fought back again, scoring a three-pointer and retaking the lead. After another battle, the women headed to the locker rooms tied 31-31 at halftime.
The second half looked much like the first with the teams fighting back, tying the game four times early in the half. The Lady Buffs then went on a 4-0 run with 8:43 left in the game to grab the lead once more before there was a four-minute dry spell. But after another lead battle, Chontiquah White put the Lady Buffs ahead one more time with both her free throws with two minutes left.
The Lady Buffs looked to be within reach of a victory with a 65-62 lead until MSC went on their own 4-0 run, making the score 66-65 with only 14 seconds left on the clock. After a missed free throw for MSC at the 1.4 second mark, WT tried but couldn’t gain that extra point and fell to the opposition 66-65.
The Lady Buffs returned to the FUBC on Saturday night, looking for revenge from their one-point loss on Friday against the St. Mary’s Rattlers.
WT struck quick, scoring off a jumper from Ashley Leven only 56 seconds into the game. However, St. Mary’s would go on an 8-2 run, leading by four with 11:58 left in the first. The Lady Buffs refused to give up, gaining an eight-point lead with 5:05 left after Lacee Logan scored off a jumper.
The St. Mary Rattlers wouldn’t see the lead again, even after getting within two points of WT multiple times, as Sally Higgins and Logan both scored to end the first half with a score of 24-18.
The Lady Buffs went on a 6-0 scoring spree in the second before a STMU player pulled off a three-pointer. WT played to win, keeping themselves at least eight points up until the clock showed 8:45 remaining, lowering their lead to seven points.
Lacee Logan pulled WT to 10 points in front with a three-pointer, but STMU refused to give up, scoring eight points to get within two of the home team. WT saw the opportunity to get their first win of the season, however, and went on another 8-2 run, giving itself another eight point lead with 1:24 left on the clock. STMU scored two more points, but in the end WT’s Casey Land would make both of her free throws to give the Lady Buffs a 50-43 victory.
