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TOPEKA, Kan. -- The Lady Blues kept West Texas A&M to four field goals in the second half as they opened the NCAA South Central Region tournament with a 68-36 win Friday in Lee Arena. Top-seeded Washburn (29-4) will play at 7 p.m. Saturday in a semifinal against the winner of the No. 4 Tarleton State/No. 5 Emporia State game. West Texas A&M ended its season at 19-10.
The 36 points Washburn held WTAMU to is a school record for Washburn in the NCAA tournament. Washburn improved to 13-3 in NCAA opening round games.
Dana Elliott scored a career-high 18 points. She went 7 of 12 from the field and hit two 3-pointers while pulling in seven rebounds to tie for game-high honor.
Cassie Lombardino shot 5 of 6 from the field for 15 points and
Stevi Schultz had 13 points off a 5 of 10 performance. She hit three 3-pointers.
After two early ties, the Lady Blues built took the lead for good at the 14:25 mark. They led 32-18 at halftime and they built their lead to 30 points at the 6:48 mark of the second half when Lombardino hit a pair of free throws. A jumper from
Laura McMullin gave Washburn a game-high 32-point lead with 1:04 to play and neither team scored after that.
The Lady Buffs shot 4 of 31 (13 percent) from the field in the second half and they ended the game shooting just 20 percent in the game. Ninth-ranked Washburn shot 52 percent in the second half to end the game with a 45 percent effort.
Washburn won the rebound battle 51-37 and each team committed 14 turnovers.
Cassie Lombardino blocked four shots and
Ebonie Williams had a season-high seven assists.
Laura Kinderknecht had six assists, giving her five or more for the 12th time this year.
Notes: Washburn is now 26-14 all-time in the NCAA tournament and 5-1 against West Texas A&M in the tournament...The Lady Blues will either play Emporia State for the fourth time this year or Tarleton State for the second time in school history. Washburn beat ESU all three times this year and the all-time series is tied at 43-43. The Lady Blues beat Tarleton State in 1998 in Topeka...
Dana Elliott scored a career-high 18 points...her previous high was 15 at Missouri Southern on Febuary 12...Washburn won its 800th game in school history...the Lady Blues are now 800-349-1 since the program started in 1969-70.
