KINGSVILLE, Texas – Scoring a season-high 18 points for the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball (0-23, 0-13 LSC) Saturday night was
Lauren Jay. Her output was not enough as Tarleton State (14-8, 7-6 LSC) came away with a 70-58 win in the annual Play 4Kay Game Saturday night in the Gil H. Steinke Physical Education Center-Kingsville Hampton Inn Court.
The TexAnns jumped out to a 7-2 lead a four and a half minutes into the game. An 8-2 run by the Javelinas put them in front as
Ruby Robertson scored four of the team's points.
After the teams traded baskets,
Micah Weaver hit a fall-away jumper from the right wing for a 14-12 Blue and Gold advantage. TSU responded with an 11-0 spurt to go back on top.
Ashley Viera ended TAMUK's scoring drought with a layup after getting her own rebound off a missed three-point attempt.
Weaver gave the Javelinas some momentum after an errant in-bound pass by blocking a jumper attempt. Viera grabbed the ball and went coast-to-coast for a layup on which she was fouled. The made free throw cut the Blue and Gold's deficit to 29-21 at the 4:33 mark.
Tonje Milde converted a jumper from the left wing and Jay hit two from the charity stripe to pull the team within five. However, the TexAnns scored the final five of the period to take a 35-25 lead into intermission.
TSU made three long distance shots to open the second half and stretch their lead to 16.
Ope Ibrahim hit three free throws and Weaver hit a jumper as the Javleinas scored five consecutive points to pull to within 45-34 as 12:13 showed on the scoreboard.
For the entire second half the TexAnns maintained a double-digit lead. The closest the Blue and Gold got was 10 following a fastbreak layup from Jay at the 3:32 mark.
Weaver reached the double-digit mark in points for the first time in three games with 13. Jay led TAMUK with seven rebounds. Posting a team-high three assists was Viera while both Ibrahim and Robertson recorded two steals each.
The Blue and Gold made 22-of-47 (46.8 percent) from the field to the TexAnns' 22-for-59 (37.3 percent) performance. Both teams went 14-of-19 from the free throw line with the difference in the game being TSU's 12 made three-pointers.
Next up for TAMUK is Cameron on Wednesday night. The game will be the final home contest of the season as the team will honor their two seniors, Jay and Milde, prior to the contest.
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