CANYON, Texas – A furious 15-1 run at the end of the second quarter put the momentum squarely in the possession of the Texas A&M-Kingsville women's basketball program on Saturday at the First United Bank Center, but a barrage of three-pointers from No. 20 West Texas A&M in the fourth quarter squashed any hope of a season sweep en route to a 76-66 final favoring the hosts.

"We were able to overcome some early foul trouble," said head coach Wade Scott. "Our kids really battled the entire game but [Lexy] Hightower for WT did what great players do and made key shots for them.

"I couldn't be more proud of this team and how hard they fought."

The Javelinas (8-15, 5-11 LSC) went toe-to-toe with the Lady Buffs (21-3, 13-3 LSC) through most of the second half before the long ball signaled the end of any comeback attempt in the final stanza.

TAMUK was sluggish to start the contest as WT owned an 11-3 lead by the 3:56 mark of the first quarter to put the visitors in an early hole. The Blue and Gold ended up looking at a 16-7 deficit going into the second as Nathalie Linden provided the final say of the frame with a fastbreak layup.

The hosts kept the Blue and Gold at a safe distance through the first five minutes of the second quarter before senior Cloe Lane (Kansas City, Mo.) ignited the run with a midrange jumper at 5:04 remaining in the half.

Lane crafted eight points in the run while classmate Kristina Kana (Mont Belvieu, Texas) added a trey, sophomore Hannah Aucoin (Flower Mound, Texas) posted a pair of free throws and junior Rachel Tapps (Cypress Ranch, Texas) drained the driving layup to give the Javelinas a 32-28 cushion going into the locker rooms.

The contest turned into a back-and-forth affair throughout the third with TAMUK owning a slim margin at 44-43 with 3:41 remaining in the stanza after junior Brynae Thompson (Houston, Texas) made the contested jumper in the paint.

The Lady Buffs ended the quarter on a 7-0 run, however, with Hightower converting a three at 1:56 on the clock to provide a boost while the Javelinas suddenly faced a 50-44 disadvantage heading into the fourth.

Redshirt freshman Bri-Anna Soliz (San Angelo, Texas) kept the Blue and Gold in the contest with a layup under the basket at 4:57 for a 58-57 lead, but a layup from Abby Spurgin moments later, followed by the first of three long-range shots courtesy of Hightower flipped a one-point Javelina lead into a six-point deficit at 68-62 with 1:23 remaining in the game.

A pair of points from the charity stripe, courtesy of junior Danielle Meador (Corpus Christi, Texas), kept the Lady Buffs close by at 68-64, but the hosts won out at the line and eventually took away the 76-66 decision to put the TAMUK losing streak at seven.

Lane finished with 19 points on 7-for-16 shooting alongside nine rebounds. She also added a pair of steals, one block and one assist.

Tapps added 11 points off the bench, her fifth double-digit game of the year, while Thompson and Soliz each added eight.

The Javelinas return to the Steinke Physical Education Center next week for the final home games of the 2018-19 campaign, starting with a matchup against UT Permian Basin on February 21 for the Faculty and Staff Appreciation game.

To keep up-to-date with Javelina Women's Basketball, follow the program on Facebook /JavelinaWBB or on Twitter @TAMUKwbb

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