CANYON, Texas (Jan. 31, 2026) – Behind an all-time performance from Averee Kleinhans, the Texas Woman's basketball team claimed the overtime victory over No. 6 West Texas A&M, 78-74, on Saturday afternoon.

No. 3 TWU (18-1, 12-0) handed WT (19-2, 11-1) just their second loss of the season, first loss in conference action and first loss at home. The Pioneers now stand alone atop the Lone Star Conference standings with a perfect 12-0 record. They also remained undefeated on the road at a perfect 11-0.

The win on Saturday marked just the Pioneers second win in Canyon all-time and ninth overall win against the Lady Buffs.

In a game that saw nine ties and six lead changes, the Pioneers once again showcased their poise under pressure to record their first overtime victory of the season.

IMPACT PLAYERS

• Leading the offensive charge for TWU was the senior Kleinhans who finished the day with a career high 38 points on 14-of-26 from the field, 3-of-4 from three and 7-of-10 from the free throw line in 40 minutes of action. She also added seven rebounds, two assists and two steals to her impressive stat line.
• Despite struggling with fouls throughout the contest, Gabby Elliott scored 15 points and grabbed seven boards for impactful minutes. Elliott also went a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line.
• Madi Lumsden went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line on her way to 12 points in 38 minutes of action. She also dished out two assists and grabbed two rebounds.
• Jada Celsur played the most minutes for TWU at 43. She grabbed a career high 11 rebounds in the win. She added two assists, grabbed one steal and scored five points.
• Kayla Glover was once again strong on the boards in her point guard position. She played 42 minutes and grabbed six rebounds. Additionally, she dished out three assists and scored four points.

PIONEER POWER MOMENTS

• The Pioneers dominated the play in the paint, outscoring the Lady Buffs 42-28. They also committed a season-low five turnovers, while forcing WT to turn the ball over 13 times for 15 TWU points.
• On the afternoon, TWU shot 44.8% from the field, 27.3% from three and 78.9% from the charity stripe. WT shot 47.3% from the field, 40% from three and 73.7% from the free throw line.
• The difference in the contest proved to be the scoreless droughts for WT. While TWU managed the clock well and took advantage of missed shots by the Lady Buffs, WT struggled to find timely buckets to answer the scoring of the Pioneers, as TWU played solid defense throughout the entire 45 minutes of action.
• The afternoon opened with the two teams trading buckets. Kleinhans started the game by scoring four straight points, before the Lady Buffs quickly answered with five of their own. WT hit three three pointers in the opening quarter; nevertheless, the Pioneers had responses for every point. In the final minute of the quarter, Kleinhans connected on a three to take a one-point lead, 20-19. Then, WT answered with a jumper to send the Pioneers into the second quarter trailing by one, 21-20.
• TWU found some breathing room in the second quarter, as they outscored the Lady Buffs 18-11 across the 10 minutes of action. After back-and-forth buckets to open the second, Kleinhans gave the Pioneers their first lead of the quarter, 32-31, off a made three pointer with 5:21 on the clock – her second bucket in the last 10 seconds. Those two baskets by Kleinhans would ignite an 11-1 run for TWU, as they headed into halftime with a six-point lead, 38-32.
• Neither team came out hot after halftime. Elliott connected on two free throws to open the second half scoring with 7:04 on the clock, as TWU lead 40-32. The next bucket would not come until the 4:57 mark of the quarter with a WT three pointer to cut into the Pioneers lead, 40-35. The Pioneers defensive composure down the stretch kept WT struggling on offense. To close the third quarter, Kleinhans scored nine points, while TWU held WT to just 10 points. After a free throw to close the third, TWU went into the fourth quarter ahead by four, 49-45.
• WT tied the score five times before the final shot in the fourth quarter, as the Pioneers were outscored narrowly, 22-18, in the quarter. Each time, TWU found a response on a made basket or by getting to the free throw line. At 27 seconds remaining on the clock, Taylor Haggan of WT connected on an and-one opportunity to tie the game at 65. Then, after the Pioneers advanced the ball with a timeout, Kleinhans battled through an almost turnover to hoist a three point attempt and was fouled. She went 2-of-3 from the line to give TWU the slight advantage, 67-65, with six seconds remaining. After WT took a timeout to advance the ball, Haggan drove to the basket and connected on a fade-away jumper to send the game into overtime knotted at 67.
• In the overtime period, TWU's poise and patience were on strong display. Each possession, they allowed time off the shot clock and found buckets, while WT struggled to score against the stifling Pioneers defense. TWU opened the overtime period with a 9-2 run to distance themselves from the Lady Buffs, 76-69. WT did cut it to two points, 76-74, with six seconds on the clock after a TWU turnover. However, the Lady Buffs were out of timeouts and had to play the foul game. With ice in her veins, Lumsden connected on the final two free throws of the game to put TWU ahead by four, 78-74, and secure the victory.

NEXT UP

TWU returns home for their next LSC game on Thursday, Feb. 5. The Pioneers will meet UT Tyler at 6 p.m. in Kitty Magee Arena.