CANYON, Texas (Jan. 18) – The TWU basketball team suffered a 80-65 loss at West Texas A&M on Sunday evening at the First United Bank Center in Canyon, TX.  With the loss, TWU falls to 12-7 overall and 5-3 in the Lone Star Conference.
 
Sophomores Erin Maxwell and Kenesha Saygo both scored 12 points each for the Pioneers while junior Danielle Westerfield added 11 points off the TWU bench.  Senior Barbara-Scott Kolb chipped in eight points for TWU while sophomore Emily Spector led the Pioneers with seven rebounds.
 
The Lady Buffs started the game on a 9-0 run and led by as many as 13 points in the first half.  The Pioneers outscored WTAMU 10-8 in the final five minutes of the opening twenty minutes and trailed 37-26 at the break. 
 
In the second half, the Lady Buffs shot 58.3 percent from the floor and built a 21-point lead.  TWU senior Toree Mason and Saygo made back-to-back three-pointers to make an 80-65 final.
 
The Pioneers shot 41.1 percent from the floor including 45.2 percent in the second half.  TWU's bench also outscored WTAMU's bench 27-15.
 
"We dug ourselves a hole to start the game and we can't do that against a good team like West Texas A&M on the road," said TWU head coach Beth Jillson.  "Overall we shot the ball well offensively but defensively we let them shoot 52 percent."
 
The Pioneers will return to action when they host Texas A&M-Commerce on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 7:00 p.m. in Kitty Magee Arena. Wednesday's game will be the Pioneers' Pack the House IV event in an effort to set a new TWU Athletics attendance record. Free admission, free t-shirts to the first 250 fans, free tailgate party, and prize drawings are all on tap as part of the Pack the House IV effort.