Lone Star Conference Women's Basketball Weekly Release (01/22/18)

1. Angelo State | Cameron | Eastern New Mexico | Midwestern State | Tarleton State | Texas A&M-Commerce
Texas A&M-Kingsville | Texas Woman’s | UT Permian Basin | West Texas A&M | Western New Mexico
www.lonestarconference.org | 1221 W. Campbell Rd. Suite 171, Richardson, Texas 75080 | Phone: 972-234-0033 | Fax: 972-234-4110
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, January 22, 2018
Contact: Melanie Robotham, (972) 234-0033 Ext. 103
LONE STAR CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL WEEKLY RELEASE
January 22, 2018
LSC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Texas A&M-Commerce tops the Lone Star Conference standings at 9-1 overall after the first half of the league’s double
round-robin schedule.
League play continues this week with one game Tuesday, five Thursday and five Saturday.
The LSC women are 94-96 overall. The women’s squads are currently 19-17 combined against the Heartland, and 10-
12 versus RMAC teams, which are the other conferences in the NCAA South Central Region.
LSC schedule and results available here: http://www.lonestarconference.org/calendar.aspx?path=wbball&&
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE
Brianna Wise, Texas A&M University-Commerce, SR, Forward, Desoto, Texas, Desoto HS
Wise once again was a force on the offensive end for the Lions in both of their wins last week. She averaged 18 points
per game as well as 5.5 rebounds. Wise had 21 points in the Lions' 88-77 overtime win against UT Permian Basin. She
scored 15 of her 21 points in the second half and overtime, including recording the tying basket with under a minute to
play in regulation to send the game into extra time. She was 7-of-9 from the field in the game and pulled in nine
rebounds. Wise then led the Lions with 15 points against No. 8 West Texas A&M in the Lions' 59-55 upset win. Wise was
clutch down the stretch, scoring 10 points in the second half. She knocked in free throws late to keep the Lions on top
and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line in the game. Wise has scored 20 or more points in nine different games this
season and leads the LSC in scoring during conference games.
DEFENSIVE
Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton State University, SO, Forward, Burleson, Texas, Burleson HS
Hailey was a force on both ends of the floor for Tarleton last week as she led the TexAnns to back-to-back road wins
over No. 8 West Texas A&M and UT Permian Basin. She anchored the Tarleton defense that held its opponents to 54.5
points per game for the week on .371 shooting from the floor. Hailey averaged 16.5 points per game, highlighted by a
19-point performance against No. 8 West Texas A&M Thursday night to give the TexAnns their first road win against the
Lady Buffs since 2011. In that game, Hailey shot .500 from the floor and was 5-5 from the free throw line to go along
with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Arguably, her biggest play of the night came with 43 seconds left and
Tarleton trailing 64-62. After missing a jumper, Hailey hustled to collect the rebound and put it right back up to tie the
game at 64. After Tarleton took a two-point lead, Hailey's help defense forced WT into a tough layup and a desperation
putback jumper that ultimately bounced over the back of the goal to give the TexAnns the ball with 0.7 seconds left to

2. seal the win. She followed up with a 14-point, eight-rebound performance at UT Permian Basin on Saturday. For the
week, Hailey collected 13 rebounds and five steals to go along with three assists and two blocks.
WEEKLY AWARDS
Offensive
N-15 Desiree Phipps, Texas Woman's
N-21 Brianna Wise, Texas A&M-Commerce
N-27 Madison Parker, West Texas A&M
D-4 Brianna Wise, Texas A&M-Commerce (2)
D-11 Whitney Taylor, Midwestern State
D-20 Lexy Hightower, West Texas A&M
J-8 McKinley Bostad, Tarleton State
J-15 Keanna Kelly, Angelo State
J-22 Brianna Wise, Texas A&M-Commerce (3)
Defensive
N-15 Deleyah Harris, West Texas A&M
N-21 Artaejah Gay, Texas A&M-Commerce
N-27 De'Anira Moore, Angelo State
D-4 Lejha Smith, Cameron
D-11 Marquita Daniels, Angelo State
D-20 De'Anira Moore, Angelo State (2)
J-8 Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton State
J-15 Marquita Daniels, Angelo State (2)
J-22 Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton State (2)
OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
Ciara Fields, Western New Mexico, had a big week as she recorded 47 points, averaging 23.5 per game, as she
scored over 20 points in both games. She also grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out an assist, sent back two blocks and
tallied a steal. Fields scored a season-high 26 points against Texas A&M-Kingsville as she went 9-30 from the field, 4-12
from three and added five rebounds. She started the week with 21 versus Angelo State, hitting 6-13 from the field, 3-6
from three and pulled down five rebounds.
Lexy Hightower, West Texas A&M University, had another big weekend for the Lady Buffs as the sophomore guard
led all scorers in both Lone Star Conference matchups last weekend in Canyon with Tarleton State and Texas A&M-
Commerce. The Amarillo High product went 19-of-32 from the field including 7-of-13 from behind the arc to average
23.0 points per contest to go along with 5.0 rebounds per game. Hightower registered a career high 26 points on
Thursday night in a loss to Tarleton State as she went 10-of-16 from the floor followed by a 20-point performance on
Saturday afternoon in Canyon.
Mackenzie Hailey, Tarleton State University, was a force on both ends of the floor for Tarleton last week as she led
the TexAnns to back-to-back road wins over No. 8 West Texas A&M and UT Permian Basin. She averaged 16.5 points per
game, highlighted by a 19-point performance against No. 8 West Texas A&M Thursday night to give the TexAnns their
first road win against the Lady Buffs since 2011. In that game, Hailey shot .500 from the floor and was 5-5 from the free
throw line to go along with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Arguably, her biggest play of the night came with
43 seconds left and Tarleton trailing 64-62. After missing a jumper, Hailey hustled to collect the rebound and put it right
back up to tie the game at 64. After Tarleton took a two-point lead, Hailey's help defense forced WT into a tough layup

3. and a desperation putback jumper that ultimately bounced over the back of the goal to give the TexAnns the ball with
0.7 seconds left to seal the win. She followed up with a 14-point, eight-rebound performance at UT Permian Basin on
Saturday. For the week, Hailey shot .545 from the floor and went 9-9 at the charity stripe to average her 16.5 points per
game. She also collected 13 rebounds and five steals to go along with three assists and two blocks. Hailey also anchored
the TexAnn defense that held its opponents to 54.5 points per game for the week on .371 shooting from the floor.
Brandi Gomez, Eastern New Mexico University, poured in a career-high 24 points in Saturday's contest against
Angelo State. 20 of those points came in the second half, when the Hounds trimmed a 26-point deficit down to just
three points, as the junior guard connected on five of her nine three-point attempts over the final 20 minutes of play.
Dezirae Hampton, Angelo State University, was the steady hand for Angelo State scoring 11.5 points per game. The
junior recorded double figures for the ninth and 10th straight games. She added 10 points against ENMU and 13 points
versus WNMU. She hit three 3-pointers and 36 percent from the field.
Hannah Reynolds, Midwestern State University, shot above 50 percent in each of Midwestern State's two games
this week, dropping seven and 11 points against Cameron and Texas Woman's, respectively. The forward pulled down
13 total rebounds, including eight against the Pioneers while rejecting a pair of shots each game. The Prosper native
enjoyed her fifth double-digit scoring game this season and narrowly missed her first career double-double against TWU.
Micheline Mercelita, Midwestern State University, recorded the first 20-rebound game in the Lone Star Conference
this season, pulling down four offensive and 16 defensive rebounds in just 28 minutes in the Mustangs win over Texas
Woman's on Thursday. The 20 boards were the fourth-most in program history. The senior now has five games on the
season with at least 10 rebounds. Against Cameron on Tuesday, Mercelita narrowly missed double-digits on the glass
with nine boards against the Aggies. Anchoring the defense, the Edinburg product helped hold the opposition to just
39.4 percent shooting on the week. Along with her work on the glass, Mercelita added a pair of steals in both games.
Overall, the senior averaged 14.5 boards in 22.5 minutes against Cameron and Texas Woman's.
Angelica Wilson, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, racked up 29 rebounds in two games, including a season-high 16
on Saturday while helping the Javelinas rout Western New Mexico by 18. The senior began the week by recording her
seventh double-double of the season, totaling 18 points and 13 rebounds against Eastern New Mexico. Overall, she
averaged 13 points and 14.5 rebounds-per-game over the last seven days.
Ekiya Gray, Angelo State University, was a rebounding machine averaging 13.0 per game and a double-double for
the week. The senior started the week with a career high 14 rebounds including nine on the offensive end versus WNMU
and followed it up two days later with 12 rebounds against ENMU. The rebounding along with six steals would aid in
limiting teams to a .306 shooting percentage and only 55.5 points per game. She also added 11.5 points per game. The
two double-doubles were the first two of the season for the season.
Alexis Nezianya, Texas Woman's University, recorded 10 blocks in two games and matched her career-high of six at
Midwestern State. The senior forward tallied game-highs of 16 points and 11 rebounds in a win at Cameron while
securing a steal, layup, free throw and defensive rebound in the final minute to seal the victory for the Pioneers.
Nezianya averaged 12.0 points, 8.5 boards, five blocks and 1.5 steals in the two contests against MSU and CU.
Jenna Price, Texas A&M University-Commerce, was all over the defensive end for the Lions in their two games last
week. She drew seven charges in the Lions' two wins, including five against No. 8 West Texas A&M. Price had seven
rebounds in the Lions' 88-77 overtime win against UT Permian Basin and drew two charges. She then had a steal and five
rebounds to go with her five charges drawn against West Texas A&M. Price was also efficient on the offensive end,
averaging 12 points per game and shooting 60 percent from the field. For her efforts on Saturday, she was named the
ESPN Player of the Game in the Lions' 59-55 upset win over WT, their first win against the Lady Buffs in Canyon in 13
years. Price is currently seventh in the LSC in rebounding.
Kaylee Edgemon, Eastern New Mexico University, continued to perform well for the Greyhounds and had another
strong defensive week. In games against Texas A&M-Kingsville she had three blocked shots and a pair of steals to help
limit the opposition to just 61.5 points per game. Over those contests, ENMU accumulated 16 points off turnovers.

4. During the second-half rally against regionally-ranked Angelo State, the Greyhound defense allowed just one three-point
field goal. The freshman forward also scored 9.5 points per game for the week.
Jade Botelho, Western New Mexico, collected eight rebounds, sent back a pair of blocks and came away with five
steals, while scoring 15 points for the week. She nearly had a double-double with 10 points and seven rebounds against
Texas A&M-Kingsville. She made nearly 40 percent from the field and of her eight rebounds, five were on the defensive
end.
LSC NOTES (Submitted by LSC SID’s)
Angelo State
2-0 last week.
Cameron
1-1 last week.
Eastern New Mexico
The Eastern New Mexico women's basketball team split a pair of Lone Star Conference games last week. On Thursday
Daeshi McCants became the second player since the 2000-01 season to register 10 career double doubles. Her 18-point,
13-rebound performance propelled Eastern to a win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. On Saturday, Brandi Gomez scored 20
of her career-best 24 points in the second half, as the Hounds nearly rallied from a 26-point deficit against Angelo State.
This week, Eastern will visit West Texas A&M and UT Permian Basin.
Midwestern State
The Midwestern State Mustangs went 1-1 this past week, falling on the road to Cameron before bouncing back with a
home win over Texas Woman's...At the halfway mark in conference play, MSU is in third-place with a 7-3 record in the
league...Against the Aggies, the Mustangs shot a season-best 82.4 percent from the free throw line...Against Texas
Woman's, the Maroon and Gold dropped 50 points in the first half, the most in a half this season by MSU...Senior
forward Micheline Mercelita recorded the first 20-rebound game in the Lone Star Conference this season, collecting 20
boards in the team's win over Texas Woman's, the fourth-most in program history...Senior guard Whitney Taylor
continues to climb the three-point chart, needing 15 triples to break the all-time program record.
Tarleton State
Tarleton went 2-0 last week and beat #8 West Texas A&M in Canyon for the first time since 2011. Tarleton returns home
to host Cameron and Midwestern State this week.
Texas A&M-Commerce
The Lions are in first place midway through the conference season, holding a 9-1 record. A&M-C defeated UTPB in
overtime on Thursday, its third overtime win in league play. The Lions then defeated No. 8 West Texas A&M, their first
win in Canyon in 13 years. The Lions host three home games this week: Dallas Christian on Monday, Midwestern State
on Thursday and Cameron on Saturday.
Texas A&M-Kingsville
1-1 last week.
Texas Woman’s
TWU dropped a 79-65 decision at Midwestern before rebounding with a 59-57 win at Cameron.

5. UT Permian Basin
UT Permian Basin women's team went 0-2 this week at home falling to Texas A&M-Commerce and Tarleton State. UTPB
was able to keep both games close forcing overtime against Commerce, leading by three in the final two minutes of
regulation. Against Tarleton, UTPB was able to keep it close into the fourth quarter before Tarleton made their free
throws. UTPB forced 47 turnovers between the two games. They are now 3-7 in the conference.
West Texas A&M
The #8 Lady Buffs of West Texas A&M struggled to defend the First United Bank Center this past weekend as they fell to
Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Commerce for their first back-to-back home losses since the 2012-13 season. Lexy
Hightower led the way for the Lady Buffs as the sophomore guard averaged 23.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per contest in
the two losses. The Lady Buffs return to Lone Star Conference action on Thursday night as they begin the second half of
league action against the rival Greyhounds of Eastern New Mexico with tipoff set for 5:30 p.m. CT at the First United
Bank Center in Canyon.
Western New Mexico
WNMU looked to come back from a loss against Angelo State and kept things close through the first half against the
Javelinas. Ciara Fields once again led the way with 47 points. Jade Botelho, Takiyah Lopez and Myla Woods-Brown all
scored in double-figures in total points for the week. Fields had a big week as she recorded 47 points, averaging 23.5
per game, as she scored over 20 points in both games. She also grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out an assist, sent back
two blocks and tallied a steal. Fields scored a season-high 26 points against Texas A&M-Kingsville as she went 9-30 from
the field, 4-12 from three and added five rebounds. She started the week with 21 versus Angelo State, hitting 6-13 from
the field, 3-6 from three and pulled down five rebounds. Botelho collected eight rebounds, sent back a pair of blocks
and came away with five steals, while scoring 15 points for the week. She nearly had a double-double with 10 points and
seven rebounds against Texas A&M-Kingsville. She made nearly 40 percent from the field and of her eight rebounds, five
were on the defensive end.
# LSC #