TexAnns lock down Western State for first win

SPECIAL TO THE FLASH
TarletonSports.com

PUEBLO, Colo. (November 18, 2016) – For the fourth time over the last six seasons, the TexAnns held an opponent to below 40 points as Tarleton got in the win column in its first game of the Al Kaly Shrine Classic with a 52-37 win over Western State Friday.

It’s the first time that Tarleton has held a team to under 40 points since January 28, 2015 when they defeated McMurry 64-37 in Wisdom Gym. It’s the first time the TexAnn defense has locked a team down to below 40 points away from Stephenville since beating UT Permian Basin 47-38 in Odessa on November 29, 2008.

Tarleton held Western State to a mere .340 clip from the field on 16-47 shooting, while not allowing a single Mountaineer to eclipse six points for the game.

Meanwhile, the TexAnn offense was sparked by a 16-point performance from senior guard Bailey Wipff. The senior from Lubbock led the way with a 7-11 effort from the field, including a 2-5 mark from downtown. Ikpeaku Iwobi scored eight points and added five rebounds while freshman Kylie Collins also poured in a career high eight points on 3-5 shooting in 16 minutes off the bench.

Western State jumped out to a quick lead at 9-6 before a Wipff jumper got things rolling Tarleton’s way.

The Wipff jumper with 2:41 left in the opening quarter started a 15-0 Tarleton run that carried into the final two minutes of the first half and built a 21-9 TexAnn lead. Western State scored its first points of the second quarter with 1:33 left and Tarleton went into the break with a 25-15 lead.

Out of the break, Western scored the first two points of the half to pull within eight but Wipff answered right back. The Tarleton senior scored Tarleton’s next seven points, including a triple that extended Tarleton’s lead to 15 points with 5:40 left in the third. Tarleton pushed the lead to as many as 23 while never leading by less than 11 the rest of the way.

Behind the combined 32 points from Wipff, Iwobi, and Collins, Tarleton got scoring from Tiara Tatum (5), Mackenzie Hailey (4), Trejouir Wilson (4), Shelby Mankins (4), Travanti Downes (2), and Baylee Peck (1). Hailey also led the team in rebounding with six boards.

Tarleton will look to even its season record in the final game of the Al Kaly Shrine Classic against the host institution, Colorado State-Pueblo, Saturday at 4 p.m. CST in Massari Arena.