A 31-point first quarter led the Western Texas College Lady Westerners past Frank Phillips College in a Western Junior College Athletic Conference basketball game Monday.
WTC (8-8, 1-4) led 10-5 midway through the opening quarter. A 21-6 run gave the Lady Westerners a 31-15 lead going into the second quarter.
The lead increased to 26 points and WTC went held a 50-27 lead at halftime. The Lady Westerners increased the lead to 74-44 after three quarters.
“It means a lot to get the first conference win,” WTC head coach Darryl Davis said. “I told the girls that we needed to do that first. I’m excited about the way we approached the game. We had two good practices with focus. Our defensive energy was contagious and carried over to offense.”
Kyra Lewis led a group of four WTC players in double figures with 17 points. Allison Valdez had 15 points, Esther Udonsi scored 13 points and Mayra Garcia added 10 points.
Kiara Shoals led Frank Phillips (13-4, 2-3) with 19 points. Mandy Coasta had 16 points and Dominique Machuca added 10 points.
“The players made a commitment to work on shooting during the past week and it’s paying dividends,” Davis said. “We shot well and scored a lot of points. We talked at halftime about not having a letdown during the third quarter. They were up for the challenge and now ready for the next game.”
WTC will play at Clarendon College Thursday and will begin a three-game homestand Monday against South Plains College. The Lady Westerns will host New Mexico Junior College on Feb. 6 and Howard College on Feb. 9.
Frank Phillips 11 16 17 19—63
WTC 31 19 24 14—88
Frank Phillips College scorers — Kiara Shoals 19, Mandy Costa 16, Dominique Machuca 10, Perrine Manoury 7, Brianna Stewart 5, Amandine L’Etang 3, Hannah Leavitt 3.
WTC scorers — Kyra Lewis 17, Allison Valdez 15, Esther Udonsi 13, Mayra Garcia 10, Catara Samuel 9, Payton Berger 8, Jauslynn Shephard 8, Raquel Horta 4, McKenna Sikes 4.