CANYON – For the second straight season, Tarleton women’s basketball went on the road and upset No. 8 West Texas A&M.
The TexAnns (11-5, 4-4) controlled the game from start to finish, as Kaylee Allen scored a game-high 24 points to lift the TexAnns to a 72-65 upset victory. It was the first home loss of the season for the Lady Buffs, who fell to 14-2 overall and 6-2 in the LSC.
The TexAnns topped the Lady Buffs last season in Canyon when they were also the eighth-ranked team, 66-64. This year’s matchup wasn’t close, as Tarleton led for 39 of the 40 minutes as West Texas’ only lead was the opening bucket of the game.
Tarleton’s 3-point shooting helped the TexAnns jump out to a double-digit lead in the first five minutes of play. Kylie Collins and Allen each drilled a pair of 3-pointers for a 16-6 lead to start. Allen went on to make four 3’s in the first quarter as the TexAnns led 21-17. Collins had six points, four rebounds and four assists in the game.
The second quarter was the turning point of the game for the TexAnns, as they outscored the Lady Buffs 21-9. Allen connected on three more 3-pointers as part of an 18-point first half for the senior guard from Cincinnati, Ohio. The TexAnns used a 7-0 run for their biggest lead of the first half at 17. Katie Webster scored 10 of her 13 points in the first half to pad the TexAnn advantage.
The TexAnns would lead 42-26 at the break after going 8-12 on 3-pointers and shooting 48 percent from the floor in the half.
Mackenzie Hailey carried the load in the second half, scoring all 13 of her points in the final 20 minutes of play and also had a team-leading six rebounds. Hailey had seven points in the third quarter, including a 3-pointer with 30 second left in the frame to push the TexAnn lead back to double digits at 57-46 heading to the fourth.
West Texas A&M opened the fourth quarter with six straight points to cut the lead to six. Hailey and Allen combined to score six straight points for the TexAnns to fight off the Lady Buffs. The lead was down to five with 30 seconds left, but McKinley Bostad closed the game out with four free throws down the stretch to hold on for the win. Bostad finished with 10 points, a game-high six assists and four rebounds along with going 6-6 at the free throw line.
The TexAnns starters combined for 66 of the 72 points, with Lucy Benson, Kandyn Faurie and Hannah Hyde each scoring two points off the bench.
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