TexAnns lose another lead, fall in OT to No. 8 WTAMU

TSU back home Wednesday to take on TAMUC

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Ikpeaku Iwobi had 12 points and 12 rebounds Saturday. || TheFlashToday.com file photo

By BRAD KEITH

TheFlashToday.com

(January 23, 2016) — Tarleton State led No. 8 West Texas A&M almost the entire way, only to be forced into overtime after a game-tying 15-foot jumper by Sasha Watson with 6.5 seconds remaining tied the game at 70-70.

Tarleton still had a chance to win it in regulation, but Raven McGrath missed at the buzzer and West Texas A&M (18-1, 5-1) presumed to dominate the extra period in a 79-73 win over the TexAnns (9-9, 3-5) at First United Bank Center in Canyon Saturday.

Watson also scored the opening basket in the overtime, and WTAMU led the rest of the way after trailing for 37 minutes and 31 seconds during regulation.

But it was Michaela Neuhaus who was the biggest thorn in the side of the TexAnns, scoring 19 points to lead the Lady Buffs to their 18th win in 20 home games against Tarleton.

It’s the second time Tarleton has lost a league game it led by double figures after the TexAnns were ahead by as many as 25-13 in the second quarter. They lost to a Cameron team they led by double digits on January 2. Even in a win against Eastern New Mexico earlier this week, they scored the final five points after ENMU erased a double-digit deficit to tie the game in the final minutes.

The lead Saturday remained between three and eight points until the midway point of the fourth quarter. McGrath drove to the basket and made it 66-58 with 4:21 left.

But it was all WTAMU down the stretch, beginning with a 3-pointer by Neuhaus to cut it to 66-61 with 4:02 to go. Madison McLain made it 66-63 on a short jumper 32 seconds later.

Bailey Wipff hit two free throws for TArleton, McLain made one of two for WTAMU, then Breanna Fuller knocked down a put back to make it 70-64 with 2:16 left.

A Neuhause jumper and a free throw each by Watson and Davis cut it to 70-68 with 52 seconds remaining. Wipff missed a Tarleton 3-pointer 20 seconds later and Watson grabbed the defensive rebound and advanced into the front court before calling timeout to set up her game-tying shot.

Watson’s bucket to open the overtime jumpstarted a 7-1 run by the Lady Buffs. Tarleton made just three free throws in the overtime period, failing to connect on a single field goal in the final seven minutes including the end of regulation. WTAMU scored the final six points of regulation and turned it into a 13-1 run for its largest lead at 77-71 in overtime.

“I thought our girls fought so hard and played very well together,” said second-year Tarleton head coach Misty Wilson in her post game interview with Keltin Wiens of the Tarleton Sports Network. “I think it’s as good as we’ve played this season. If our girls can play like that against this team here, we should do some damage in this conference. None of them need to hold their head down.”

McLain scored 13 while Watson and Maddison Wild each added nine for the Lady Buffs. Wild also had eight rebounds, and xxx Davis scored seven points while collecting a game-high 13 boards.

Tarleton was paced by Ikpeaku Iwobi with 13 points. Averie Mack and McGrath each scored 11, while Fuller had six points and nine rebounds.

Tarleton grabbed the lead at the 7:38 mark of the opening period, when Wipff got the TexAnns on the board with a 3-pointer to ignite a 12-2 run after the Lady Buffs scored the opening basket. The lead was at least three until the final minute of regulation.

The TexAnns are idle for a week before hosting Texas A&M-Commerce at 5 p.m. next Saturday

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