Emily Brister filled up the stat sheet for West Texas A&M, leading the Lady Buffs past Angelo State Saturday afternoon with a 67-55 win in the Lone Star Conference tournament semifinals.

            Brister, a three-time LSC South Player of the Year, scored 25 points, grabbed nine rebounds and had four assists and four steals. Courtney Brown and Holly Isaacs each added 12 points for the Lady Buffs, who are headed back to the LSC finals for the third straight year. 

            West Texas A&M (25-4) has now won nine straight games and will look for 10 straight in Sunday's LSC tournament championship game against Central Oklahoma in a showdown of the two No. 1 seeds from the North and South divisions.

            WTAMU is looking for its first LSC tournament title since the 2006 season.

            Beating UCO would not only give the Lady Buffs their second LSC title in three years, but all but lock up a No. 1 seed in the upcoming South Central Regional tournament.

            This season, West Texas A&M won the South with a 13-1 conference record and defeated UCO, which also had a 13-1 record in league play, 73-60 in the team's only meeting this season back on Dec. 6.

            While the Lady Buffs will look to hand UCO another defeat, they were able to beat Angelo State for the third time this season, although Saturday's game was the closest of the three meetings.

            West Texas A&M beat ASU 74-53 on Jan. 16 in Canyon before a 66-42 road victory in San Angelo.

            While the Lady Buffs failed to dominate the 'Belles like the regular season, they stayed in control for most of the game.

            Angelo State had four players in double-figure scoring, led by Lindsey Leatherman's 18 points. Kandra Lakey had 13 points and Tiffany Hardwell added 11. Camille Perkins, the South Division Freshman of the Year, scored 10 points despite 2-of-10 shooting from the floor.

            While leading by eight at the half, the Lady Buffs saw their lead trimmed to as low as five in the first three minutes of action. But West Texas A&M went on a 13-4 run, led by two baskets each from Brister and Lee.

            The 'Belles stayed within 10 points for most of the second half, but never got any closer than eight.

            Brister was the main reason for that, scoring 15 points in the second half. She made 12-of-14 free throws, hitting her first 11.

            Sunday's game not only sets up a match-up between the two top seeds in the conference, but two of the LSC's Players of the Year in Brister and UCO's Lizzie Brenner. 

WTAMU QUOTES

Coach Krista Gerlich - General Comments...

"I thought it was a tough game.  I thought Angelo [State] really came out and made us play ugly.  It's a style that we are not used to playing, but we never play real pretty when we play them.  Things were not real smooth for us, but I thought our girls did a good job in trying to survive it."

Coach Gerlich on game planning around UCO's Lizzie Brenner...

"I think UCO is really talented.  Obviously you have to put a lot of focus on Brenner because she's an exceptional player and we cannot let her have a career night by any means.  I think [Cassidy] Pillow is really nice as well and that she complements Brenner very nicely.  I have a lot of respect for [UCO head coach] Guy Hardaker and what he has done in the past two years.  I think it is going to be a really good ball game."

Emily Brister on getting four blocks...

"I think [I could] anticipate the shots that Angelo State were making at times.  I was just trying to get my hands on the ball.  And I like to play bigger than my 5' 8" frame really is."

Emily Brister on Central Oklahoma wanting to play West Texas...

Q: Does knowing that UCO wanted to play your team, does that give you any more motivation going into tomorrow's game?

"No.  I don't think we need any more motivation than we already have."

ASU QUOTES

OPENING STATEMENT: "I am proud of this team. We have batted for the last
half of the season. All of our losses are to the top half of the region. On
Thursday, the girls fought so hard to give us a chance to play on. I'd like
to take a hat off to the way WT played. They are a very solid team. We just
hope our season doesn't end today."



Hindrances to comeback: "Turnovers. They also knocked down 50% of their 3
pointers. We turned it over too much."



On a possible berth in the regional's: "We'll have to wait and see. We pulled
out a tough one on Thursday and after what happened today we've put
ourselves in a position to be still hoping."



WT Defense:

"They rotate very well to the ball. It is very hard to get a good shot on
them."



Emily Brister:

"You can't plan against her. She is the player that I have had the chance to
coach against. Today she had her best game against us. She did a good of
capitalizing offensively."



Walling-Brooks on Kandra Lakey: "It would be a bad ending to a three-year
starter and three-year all-conference player. She deserves a chance to
properly end her season."



Championship Game: That's the way it is supposed to be. Both teams are great
teams and they will represent us well as a team in the regionals."

WT NOTES

The Lady Buffs are seeking their ninth LSC Tournament title . . . WTAMU  is 7-5 in LSC Tournament championship games . . . West Texas A&M is now has 31 wins in LSC Tournament history, the most by any team in the conference . . . Courtney Lee has scored 26 points in two LSC tournament games, with 22 occurring in the second half . . . Brister set team season-highs in both free throws made and attempted, hitting 12-of-14 against ASU . . . Brister has now scored in double figures in all 29 games this season and posted her 21^st game of at least 20 points . . . Brister's four blocks were a season high . . . Holly Isaacs scored in double figures for just fifth time, tying a season-high of 12 points.

Angelo State Notes

• The 'Belles were looking to advance to the Lone Star Conference Tournament championship game for the fifth time in the last seven years, including three straight (2004, 2005 and 2006).  ASU won the tournament in 2002, 2004 and 2005 and was runner-up in 2006, falling to West Texas A&M.
• LSC South Division Freshman of the Year Camille Perkins scored her first two points of the game on a driving layup at the 4:22 mark of the first half to give her 481 on the season and push her one point past former 'Belle Kim Moore for the single-season scoring record for as freshman.  Moore finished the 1999-2000 season with 480 points which also stood in eighth place on the all-time single season scoring list until Perkins' layup.
• The 22 points scored by ASU in the first half was the fourth-lowest total of the season.  The lowest total was 20 points and occurred twice: against St. Edward's and Tarleton State.  Ironically, both those contests took place in San Angelo and ASU came out victorious in both: 56-26 over St. Edward's and 70-60 in overtime against Tarleton State.
• Perkins extended her streak of games in which she has scored in double figures to 18 straight with her 10 points against West Texas A&M.
• Lindsey Leatherman led the 'Belles in scoring with 18 points, the 10th time this season she has led the way for ASU.  In those 10 games, the sophomore from Floydada has averaged 19.3 PPG.