No. 1 seed West Texas A&M (28-3) is back in the Lone Star Conference tournament final. Despite their best efforts after against the Lady Buffs, the Lions (20-10) couldn’t sustain the previous day’s momentum Saturday evening, losing 58-44.
The Lions’ best quarter was the first going on a 7-0 run but ended the quarter on a two-minute scoring drought with a 16-13 lead. The following three quarters the Lions shot a combined 9-40 from the field. WT outrebounded the Lions 29-40, while their bench contributed 27 points versus the Lions 7.
Abby Spurgin dominated the game leading all with 16 points and 10 rebounds. She allowed WT to move the ball effectively considering scoring below their team average. She also dominated on the defensive end, leading all with 6 blocks.
Defensively the Lady Buffs held Princess Davis to 2-13 from the field, forcing her to score the majority of her 11 points from the free throw line, going 7-9. Davis showed grit throughout the game fighting to attack the basket to no avail. She passed former Lion men's basketball player Jason Hall (1992-96) as the all-time leader in minutes played.
The Lions shot just 16.7% from the field in the fourth quarter. Alexis Bryant led the Lions with 12 points and 6 rebounds.
The Lions are the No. 8 seed in regional rankings and expect to make the NCAA with an at-large bid. Join them tonight as they find out their fate during the NCAA Selection Show, airing at 9 p.m. on the NCAA site.