KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – Texas A&M-Kingsville’s Felicia Soza (Beeville/A.C. Jones HS) scored her 1,000th career point as the women’s basketball team defeated Lone Star Conference South Division rival Midwestern State on Wednesday night, 72-63 at Kingsville Hampton Inn Court.  (box score)

Soza needed just one point to become the 13th player in school history to score 1,000 career points. She eclipsed the total on a jumper with 16:36 left in the first half.

The Javelinas (18-6, 6-3) had a tough time with the Mustangs (6-17, 0-10) even though the visitors have yet to win a game in conference. In the first half, the Javelinas jumped out to an early 12-5 lead, but the Mustangs fired back by draining six three-pointers in the first 13 minutes of the game and led 24-23 with 7:15 left.

Emily Welborn led the Mustangs by hitting on all three of her three-point attempts in the first half. She entered the game just 2-for-16 from three-point range on the season. She keyed the team’s 16-5 run in the first half.

Kayla Naylor (Corpus Christi/Calallen HS) kept the Javelinas in the game as she poured in 17 points in the first 13:34 of the game.

The Mustangs took a 36-34 lead into halftime after Andrea Buben hit a three-pointer with 21 seconds left.
In the second half, the Mustangs scored the first basket, but the Javelinas quickly responded with a 14-1 run to take a 48-39 lead with 15:21 left. Unfortunately, after Naylor’s lay-up gave the team a nine-point lead, the Hoggies did not make another basket until 5:16 remained.

The scoring slump allowed the Mustangs back into the game. They eventually took a 58-56 lead on a lay-up by Buben with 4:08 left in the game.

The Javelinas tied the score when Soza knocked down a couple of free throws. They took the lead when Naylor hit a three-pointer with the shot clock running down to give the team a 61-58 lead with 2:27 left. The game remained a one possession ball game until Reagan Sutton (Portland/Pusch Ridge Christian HS) hit a lay-up with 1:25 left. Soza knocked down a three-pointer on the next possession to make it a seven point game. The Hoggies knocked down four free throws in the final 28 seconds to clinch the game.

Naylor led the Javelinas with a career high 22 points as she went 8-for-16 from the field, including 4-for-7 from three-point range. Soza added 15 points and six rebounds while Dyana Bullinger (Spring/Klein HS) had 10 points, six rebounds and five steals. The Hogs shot 38.3 percent from the field, made 9-of-21 three-pointers and were 17-for-23 from the foul line. They committed a season low seven turnovers.

The Mustangs shot 36.5 percent from the field, made 10-of-21 three-point attempts and were 7-for-15 at the foul line. Buben led the team with 14 points and five rebounds while Aqueelah Watkins came off the bench to score 12 points, grab eight rebounds and block four shots. Nolisha Markham had 10 points as she went 3-for-3 from three-point range. They pulled down 14 more rebounds than the Javelinas, but committed 17 turnovers.

The Javelinas travel to Tarleton State on Saturday for a 5 o’clock tip-off.

Javelina 1,000-point scorers
1. Lorie Martinez (1997-01) – 1,781
2. Kay Goodwin (1980-84) – 1,678
3. Karen Weiss (1988-92) – 1,566
4. Angela Trotter (2003-07) – 1,336
5. Kristin Ciborowski (1993-97) – 1,295
6. Arie Wilson (2000-03) – 1,282
7. Janice Williams (1984-88) – 1,168
8. Karen Demerson (1984-88) – 1,096
9. Kelly Armbruster (1986-89) – 1,075
10. Sandra Jimenez (1975-78) – 1,073
11. Sheryl Campbell (1980-83) – 1,062
12. Precious Thibodeaux (1999-01) – 1,024
13. Felicia Soza (2006-10) – 1,014
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