CANYON, Texas (Interstat) — West Texas A&M used a dominant inside game and a fast start to beat Wayland Baptist 78-37 in a non-divisional women’s NCAA Division II basketball game Monday at First United Bank Center. The Buffaloes evened their season record at 1-1 after opening the season with an overtime loss to Tampa. Attendance was 1,913. West Texas A&M controlled the game from the opening minutes and never allowed Wayland Baptist to settle into its offense.

West Texas A&M set the tone immediately, scoring the first four points and building a 14-2 lead by the 5:43 mark of the first quarter. Taylor Haggan opened with a layup, Taejhuan Hill scored inside, Abbi Holder added consecutive layups and a 3-pointer, and Hill converted a three-point play as the Buffaloes controlled the paint. Tyanna Simpson briefly tied the score at 2 for Wayland Baptist, but West Texas A&M answered with a 12-0 run. The Buffaloes led 43-19 at halftime after closing the second quarter on a 10-2 burst, and they pushed the margin to 55-30 after three quarters.

The Buffaloes finished with 50 points in the paint to 10 for Wayland Baptist and grabbed 25 offensive rebounds. West Texas A&M committed 21 turnovers but scored 20 points off turnovers, while Wayland Baptist turned those miscues into 13 points. West Texas A&M also had 12 assists and four blocks, scoring 78 points from 76 possessions for an offensive rating of 103.0. The rebounding advantage and interior production allowed the Buffaloes to overcome their turnover total and keep pressure on the visitors throughout.

Taylor Haggan paced West Texas A&M with 22 minutes, seven points, 12 rebounds and four assists. Taejhuan Hill added 20 minutes, 14 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one block. Kerbie Cash contributed 19 minutes, six points, five rebounds and five assists. Ella Brown chipped in 10 minutes, 14 points and three rebounds. Julie Nekolna had 17 minutes, 10 points, six rebounds and one assist. Brooklyn Scurry added 19 minutes, two points, six rebounds, one assist and two blocks. Juliet Slater posted 13 minutes, four points, three rebounds, three assists and one block. Arissa Garcia had 15 minutes, two points and one assist. Abbi Holder added 20 minutes, seven points, one rebound and one assist. Mylasia Smith finished with seven minutes, four points, two rebounds and one assist.

The decisive stretch came in the opening quarter. After Simpson briefly tied the score for Wayland Baptist, West Texas A&M answered with a 12-0 run. Hill scored twice inside, Holder converted two layups and a 3-pointer, and Hill completed a three-point play. The Buffaloes’ lead reached 21-8 by the end of the first quarter and never dropped below double digits. The early surge, powered by interior scoring and second-chance opportunities, established the game’s tone and forced Wayland Baptist to play from behind.

Wayland Baptist received several strong moments from Simpson and Bella Dabs, but the visitors could not match West Texas A&M’s paint production. Simpson repeatedly attacked the basket for layups, and Dabs connected from beyond the arc in the second, third and fourth quarters. Ella Brown hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, and the Buffaloes opened the final period with a 13-2 run to remove any doubt. Julie Nekolna and Taejhuan Hill continued to score inside, while Taylor Haggan controlled the boards. West Texas A&M’s defense and rebounding kept Wayland Baptist from mounting a sustained rally.

West Texas A&M is scheduled to return to action Friday, Nov. 13, at Metropolitan State-Denver.