Sports Reporter
Four ties, 15 lead changes and a last second turnover marked the South Central Regional Championship game between the No. 4 Colorado Mesa University women’s basketball team and No. 5 West Texas A&M.
West Texas A&M held on to win 59-56 in front of a crowd of 3,363 at First National Bank Arena.
It was a scrappy match from the tip off, with each team feeding off what the other gave up. Offensive blunders led to just 32 percent shooting from the Mavs and 33 percent from the Buffs at the break.
CMU hit four threes while West Texas earned it at the charity stripe, making six of 10 bonus shots. CMU only went to the line once in the first half.
Mavericks looked unable to set an offense presence early as they managed just four points in the paint, with few passes finding the target.
“In that first half we turned the ball over 16 times, way too many in a game like this where it came down to one possession,” Coach Taylor Wagner said. “I think we were a little bit tentative [in the first half] and that’s why we had so many turnovers.”
Early three-point shots and a six-rebound advantage kept CMU competitive. Both teams were able to get the offense together in the second half, with each shooting 50 percent from the field after a 23-20 advantage to the Buffs at break.
The Mavericks knew something down low had to get started, and Hannah Pollart responded. After spending most of the first half on the bench due to three early fouls, Pollart scored the first 11 points in the second half and Hannah Bowden came in to add four more buckets down low.
Sharaya Selsor didn’t see much of the ball in the first half, shooting just one-for-three. Using screens and her court awareness, Selsor started to catch fire in the second half and finished with 16.
“They guarded me well, I’ve been guarded well all weekend,” Selsor said. “Eventually the ball found me but unfortunately it was a little too late.”
West Texas found its twin towers down low in Devin Griffin and Chontiquah White. Both finished with double doubles, including 20 points each. Griffin grabbing one more board (12) than White (11) and rebounding down the stretch lifted the Buffs to cut down the nets in front of their home crowd.
Mesa was out rebounded 22-10 in the second half, including 16 offensive rebounds for the Buffs which led to 22 second chance points, compared to CMU’s seven.
The last offensive rebound by Griffin proved to be the most vital. Raven Gerald missed a layup, Griffin grabbed it and went to the foul line. She hit the second of her two shots to put the game at its final result.
With a three-point difference, anyone who has watched Mesa this season knew that the ball was going to Selsor. With eight seconds on the clock, Selsor ran off a screen to the top of the arc, met by three Buff defenders.
She sent an off-balance shot, but because of a body bump by one of the Buffs, Selsor’s footing was offset and the whistle blew for a travel, essentially ending the game and the Mavs’ tournament run.
In his first two years, Wagner has led the Mavericks to two straight South Central Regional Championship games, winning last year at Brownson Arena.
“[This group], they’re awesome,” Wagner said. “I told them in [the locker room] I pushed them to the brink everyday in practice, and they kept coming. That’s what I love about them. These guys are better people than basketball players. They’re good students, they don’t get in trouble, they have each other’s back and its great to see as a coach that these girls love to play for each other.”
Tears started to roll down Wagner’s face as he finished his thought on his seniors, with two of them on each side of them. Both Pollart and Selsor had been fighting emotions the whole press conference.
Selsor became the single-season leader in points scored and moved to third place on the Mavericks’ all-time scoring list
“I wouldn’t have played anywhere else. I’m a very proud CMU student and athlete,” Selsor said. “I hope they continue to put CMU on the map. If there’s one thing I leave back, I hope it’s that they work hard to get back here. I’m so proud and I always will be.”
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