Lady Westerners Drop Conference Opener at No. 9 NMJC

Hobbs, N.M. — The Western Texas College Lady Westerners opened conference play on the road, traveling to Hobbs to face No. 9 New Mexico Junior College, but were unable to slow down the Thunderbirds, falling 60–42. Recent struggles on both ends of the floor continued to be an issue, as defensive breakdowns and costly turnovers put the Lady Westerners in an early hole. Falling behind by double digits, Western Texas was unable to recover.

How We Got There

The Lady Westerners showed early fight, cutting the deficit to four when Jacqueline Cleveland stepped to the line and converted her free-throw opportunity. Essania Landers led  Western Texas with 14 points, all of which came in the second half.

Defensively, Kendall Carlock was active throughout the game, recording a career-high eight steals to go along with eight rebounds, helping disrupt New Mexico Junior College's rhythm. Kynli Hart knocked down two three-pointer.

Despite the effort, New Mexico Junior College consistently attacked Western Texas' zone defense by sending cutters through the lane, creating high-percentage scoring opportunities. Shooting struggles and turnovers allowed the Thunderbirds to control the tempo and pull away.

Notes

• Essania Landers with 14 points, marking her second game this season with 14 points

• Kendall Carlock: 8 rebounds, 8 steals (career high), 1 block

• Western Texas forced 10 turnovers in the first half

• Western Texas recorded 11 team steals, surpassing its season average of 7.6 per game

• The Lady Westerners held the Thunderbirds to a season-low 60 points

• Western Texas tied NMJC in points in the paint (14)

Up Next

The Lady Westerners return home to face Odessa College on  Thursday, January 15th, with tipoff scheduled for 5:45 p.m.