SILVER CITY, N.M. – Emmeri Archer reached a new career-high by pouring in 16 points while helping the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball team trounce the Western New Mexico Mustangs, 65-47, on Saturday afternoon at Drag's Court in Silver City, N.M.
Archer wasn't the only one on top of her game in the Javelinas' (5-13, 2-8) fifth victory of the season. Angelica Wilson set a new season-high by snatching 16 rebounds and Shaq Debose topped her season-best in assists for the second straight game, passing out eight.
Victoria Salinas also contributed 12 points to the cause and Tatyana McFarland came away with 12 rebounds as TAMUK matched its best showing in that category, totaling 50 boards.
FIRST QUARTER
A technical foul in pregame put the Mustangs at the line before tip-off and Ciara Fields converted on one of two attempts. Sadie Russell then got TAMUK on the board by draining a jump shot. Scores by each school evened things at four before the Hoggies moved in front thanks to a bucket from Wilson and another from Russell on a fast break moments later. Brynae Thompson and McFarland then contributed their first baskets of the day and an 8-0 run had put the visitors up, 12-4.
Western New Mexico got back on the board when Fields connected with a jumper but an answer came in the form of a layup from Ope Ibrahim. On the ensuing possession, Thompson secured a steal and drove to the hoop for an easy two, extending Kingsville's lead to 10. Myla Woods-Brown scored the final points of the quarter, connecting from three-point range.
SECOND QUARTER
After Jade Botelho and Wilson each added two to their teams totals, Woods canned a triple that moved WNMU to within four. Fields brought the home side to within two with a layup midway through the period and Jenika Padilla tied things at 18 with two foul shots. The Mustangs' run reached 9-0 when Fields converted another layup, but Salinas blunted that momentum by tossing in a jump shot. Rachel Francisco put Western back ahead by two with 56 seconds remaining, but the Javs jumped in front with 32 seconds on the clock as Salinas swished her team's first triple of the day.
THIRD QUARTER
Debose converted a fast break into two points and, after a free throw by Salinas, Debose scored again to up the Javelinas' lead to six. Wilson and Archer pushed it to 10 by each hitting two foul shots. When Archer tacked on a layup, the Javelinas had stretched their lead to 12 with an 11-0 run.
Fields set about the task of trying to get the Mustangs back in game, hitting her sixth shot from the floor and Takiyah Lopez sliced WNMU's deficit to seven with two free throws. A trey by Archer moved the Hoggies' lead back to 37-27 before Fields, who would record 26 points to lead all scorers, added two more to her total and put the difference between the teams at eight. A pair of buckets by both squads sent the game to the fourth with a score of 41-33.
FOURTH QUARTER
An Archer free throw and a Wilson layup helped the Javelinas grow their lead back to double figures. With their advantage at 10 and less than eight minutes to go, Thompson fired one up from beyond the arc that tickled the twine and following a steal by Ibrahim, Thompson added a layup. A WNMU free throw was answered by an Archer layup. The Mustangs managed to put together and 8-2 rally to trail by 10, only for free throws from Ibrahim and a triple from Archer to move it back to 15 with 3:25 to play. Salinas and McFarland helped increase that advantage to 18 before the final buzzer sounded.
Wade Scott and his team will have two days to savor this victory before they head back to work against Angelo State on Tuesday evening in a matchup that will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. To receive content for Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball, you can follow @TAMUKWBB on Twitter and Instagram, like the official Facebook page of Javelina athletics (/JavelinaSports) and subscribe to the Javelina Athletics YouTube channel.
