On the women’s half of the court, Payne put away six points and four assists in the loss to the Texans last Thursday, but bounced back with 23 points in the comeback win over Texas Woman’s the following Saturday. The 23 points matched her career-high she set in the loss to Texas A&M International on December 14 before the turn of the new year.
Against the Pioneers, Payne posted 21 points in the second half to erase the 13-point deficit TAMUK faced, including 16 points in the decisive fourth quarter. Over a four-minute stretch in the final frame, the South Plains College transfer was responsible for 14 of the 16 points the Javelinas put on the board.
On the year, Payne leads the team with a 12.0 scoring average at a 40.7% clip, including a 38.7% mark from the perimeter and a 73.3% rate at the line.
