SILVER CITY, N.M. (Dec. 17, 2024) – The Texas Woman's University basketball team starts their road stretch on a good note after taking care of business in Silver City to keep Western New Mexico winless, holding them to just 48 points. This dominant performance marks the third consecutive game and the fifth total time this year that the Pioneers have held their opponent under 50 points. The 71-48 victory over the Mustangs helped improve TWU's away record to 3-1.

TWU (10-1, 3-1) overwhelmed WNMU (0-10, 0-5) in this matchup from the jump with creating points off Mustang turnovers for themselves. The Pioneers were able to force another 20+ turnovers as WNMU ended with 23 turnovers on the night and recorded 11 steals as Jada Celsur led the way with three.

Four Pioneers reached double figures in the scoring category with Jada Celsur leading all scorers with 16 points. Running in transition after forcing turnovers and scoring early and often was the name of the game for the Pioneers in effort to take the dominant road win over the Mustangs.

• Leila Patel led TWU offensively with 16 points, shooting 7 for 11 from the field and 50% from beyond the arc. In addition to her scoring performance, she also grabbed five rebounds.

• Three other Pioneers finished with 10 points each: Jada Celsur, Scout Huffman, and Averee Kleinhans. Celsur made an impact on both ends of the court, contributing four rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

• Huffman shot 50% from the field on eight attempts, collected seven rebounds, and provided two assists. Kleinhans contributed across multiple categories, recording four rebounds and two steals.

PIONEER POWER MOMENTS

• The Pioneers forced 23 turnovers from Western New Mexico and limited them to 30% shooting from the field and just 17% from three-point range. 

• TWU demonstrated great hustle and excelled in their transition game, scoring 25 points off turnovers and adding 14 fast break points. Despite a challenging shooting night for both teams, TWU dominated in the paint with a 42-24 advantage and contributed 28 points from their bench.

• The inside-out offensive strategy got the Pioneers going in the first quarter, starting with a jumper from Huffman that gave TWU an early 4-2 lead. From that moment on, the Pioneers never relinquished their lead, with the teams only tying twice throughout the game. 

• After encountering a few empty possessions in the opening quarter, TWU ramped up their defensive pressure, resulting in a couple of steals and a deep three-pointer from Kleinhans, which expanded TWU's lead to eight points with under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Pioneers capped off the quarter with an 8-2 run, ending with a 21-10 lead.

• As the second quarter began, Western New Mexico tried to slow down TWU's offense but struggled to handle the ball efficiently, leading to several fast break points for the Pioneers and trips to the free-throw line. TWU's lead surged to 38-18 following consecutive fast break points in the paint from Elliot, along with jump shots from Kleinhans and Celsur, which helped the Pioneers secure a 44-20 halftime lead.

• The Mustangs matched TWU's intensity in the third quarter, leading to a scrappy game on both ends. After some back-and-forth play early in the half, Patel stepped up for the Pioneers, hitting key shots that helped close the quarter with a 59-36 lead.

• In the fourth quarter, TWU controlled the pace of the game and maintained their strong defensive play, ultimately securing a 23-point victory over Western New Mexico.

FROM HEAD COACH BETH JILLSON
"We started the game fast by forcing turnovers and converting on the other end. We did a good job of pushing the pace in transition and scoring early."

NEXT UP
TWU will continue the road stretch with their final game of 2024 against Sul Ross on Thursday, Dec. 19 in Alpine, Texas. Tip off begins at 1 p.m.

-PIONEERS-