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SportS Prairie Women’s basketball wins at Thanksgiving Classic 4
Melissa Bauer-herzog staff writer
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he WTAMU Lady Buffs basketball team played their first home games of the season on Nov. 25 and 26 at the First United Bank Center. The team played in the Roberts Ditching Thanksgiving Classic, playing the No. 5-ranked Metro State College on Friday and St. Mary’s on Saturday night. The Lady Buffs had a tough challenge on Friday night against Metro State College, but came extremely close to beating the team. The game started with MSC drawing first blood, grabbing a 12-2 run early before WT senior Joni Unruh scored on a pair of free throws. Kenisha Harris followed up Unruh, getting the Lady Buffs within six points of their opponent. However, the Roadrunners fought back, making it a 14-6 game with 14:11 left in the first. The Lady Buffs finally grabbed a 22-20 lead with nine minutes left in the first, but MSC fought back again, scoring a three-pointer and retaking the lead. After another battle, the women headed to the locker rooms tied 31-31 at halftime. The second half looked much like the first with the teams fighting back, tying the game four times early in the half. The Lady Buffs then went on a 4-0 run with 8:43 left in the game to grab the lead once more before there was a four-minute dry spell. But after another lead battle, Chontiquah White put the Lady Buffs ahead one more time with both her free throws
November 29, 2011
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with two minutes left. The Lady Buffs looked to be within reach of a victory with a 65-62 lead until MSC went on their own 4-0 run, making the score 66-65 with only 14 seconds left on the clock. After a missed free throw for MSC at the 1.4 second mark, WT tried but couldn’t gain that extra point and fell to the opposition 66-65. The Lady Buffs returned to the FUBC on Saturday night, looking for revenge from their one-point loss on Friday against the St. Mary’s Rattlers. WT struck quick, scoring off a jumper from Ashley Leven only 56 seconds into the game. However, St. Mary’s would go on an 8-2 run, leading by four with 11:58 left in the first. The Lady Buffs refused to give up, gaining an eight-point lead with 5:05 left after Lacee Logan scored off a jumper. The St. Mary Rattlers wouldn’t see the lead again, even after getting within two points of WT multiple times, as Sally Higgins and Logan both scored to end the first half with a score of 24-18. The Lady Buffs went on a 6-0 scoring spree in the second before a STMU player pulled off a threepointer. WT played to win, keeping themselves at least eight points up until the clock showed 8:45 remaining, lowering their lead to seven points. Lacee Logan pulled WT to 10 points in front with a three-pointer, but STMU refused to give up, scoring eight points to get within two of the home team. WT saw the opportunity to get their first win of the season, however, and went on another 8-2
run, giving itself another eight point lead with 1:24 left on the clock. STMU scored two more points, but in the end WT’s Casey Land would make both of her free throws to give the Lady Buffs a 50-43 victory. Lacee Logan led the team with 13 points. Devin Griffin and Joni Unruh following with nine points each in addition to a team-high five rebounds each. “I thought we got a lot better and I thought there were certainly some positives,” Head Coach Krista Gerlich said. “I think we still make too many self-inflicted mistakes and I think we had a great opportunity to beat
the number five team in the country and let it slip away from us. But I thought we really fought hard on Saturday and figured out a way to win.” The Lady Buffs will hit the
road again next week with a trip to San Antonio to play Incarnate Word on Dec. 1 for their first Lone Star Conference game of the season.
Photo courtesy of iStock.
WTAMU Football team beats Central Missouri Mules Khiry Robinson named Kanza Bowl most valuable player Matthew watkins staff writer
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he WTAMU Buffalo football team closed out the season by traveling to Topeka, Kansas to take on the No. 23 Central Missouri Mules in the Lower Inc. Kanza Bowl. WT grabbed its second Kanza Bowl trophy in three years with a 26-7 win. The Buffs started slowly after having a two-week layoff. As sophomore quarterback Dustin Vaughn threw an interception on the fourth play of the game, the WT defense was able to hold UCM to a three-and-out. Junior Khiry Robinson got the Buffs the first points of the game with a four yard run to put WT up 7-0 with 9:27 remaining in the first. Robinson carried the ball 24 times for 163 yards and the one touchdown on the afternoon. “The offensive line made lanes for me to run through,” Robinson said. The Mules quickly answered when Taylor LaVance ran it in from a yard out to tie the game at seven with 5:47 left in
the first. The Buffs were able to regain the lead when Vaughn connected with senior Brittan Golden for a 44 yard touchdown. WT took a 13-7 lead after UCM blocked the point after try. With 33 seconds left in the second, an eight-yard run by senior Tommy Hampton gave the Buffs a 20-7 lead heading into the locker room. Both defenses dominated in the second half. WT kicked a 21 yard field goal for the only points in the third quarter and a 26 yarder in the fourth for the only six points of the half. Vaughn finished the day 23 of 42 passing for 347 yards with one touchdown and two picks. Sophomore Lance Ratliff led the receivers with six receptions for 116 yards, and Golden had six catches for 101 yards and a score. Robinson was named the MVP of the Kanza Bowl after his 163yard performance. “It means a lot, it’s like making an A in a class you didn’t think you would be able to pass at first,” said Robinson.