ALLEN, Texas – The No. 20 Angelo State women's basketball team will have a chance to defend its Lone Star Conference Tournament Championship after defeating West Texas A&M 70-68 in an instant classic that featured eight ties and eight lead changes in the LSC Tournament semifinals on Saturday afternoon in Allen, Texas.

The Belles improve to 24-4, the fourth most wins in a single season, and will play in their second straight final and eighth overall. WT (23-8) outscored ASU 34-20 in the paint but ASU hit 11 three pointers and was able to score 18 points off 14 Lady Buff turnovers.  

"Today was a battle between two really good basketball teams," Angelo State head women's basketball coach Kevin Baker said. "The game went down to the wire as it usually does. I just felt that our team remained focused and composed throughout the entire game. We had championship composure today."

Taylor Dorsey had her best game of the season. The senior became the 18^th player in program history to score at least 1,000 points for her career at the end of the first half. She continued scoring in the second half on her way to a season high 35 points. She hit six 3-pointers and led the team with six assists. The 35 points is the sixth most in LSC Championship history and 10^th most in ASU history. Lexi Murphy was clutch in the final minutes of the game on her way to scoring 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds.

The Belles had built a 60-53 advantage with 6:07 to play in the game but WT battled back to tie the game with 58 seconds to go at 64. Much like last season in the LSC Tournament Championship game against West Texas A&M, Murphy stepped up and drained a three pointer for the 67-64 lead with 40 second left.

A missed jumper by WT on the ensuing play and Murphy was there for the rebound and was fouled. The senior stepped to the line and hit one of two for a four-point cushion with 13 seconds left. Sasha Watson of WT quickly hit a layup, but Murphy was fouled again to stop the clock. This time the Nebraska native hit both free throws to make it 70-66. Watson would again make a layup but it would be too late as ASU ran the final seconds out to win the game.

ASU had a four point lead heading into the fourth quarter until Allie Decker made her one of her six three-pointers to trim the Belle lead to 53-52. Dorsey answered with a 3-pointer of her own and sparked a 7-1 run to build a 60-53 advantage. The Belles would go cold only scoring two points over the next five minutes before Murphy's three-pointer.

Dorsey started off on fire hitting back-to-back three pointers and a bucket in the paint for eight quick points for an 8-2 lead. WT answered with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 10. After the two teams traded bucket, Murphy hit one of three 3-pointers. WT would score the final five points of the quarter and lead 17-15 after the first quarter.

The second quarter was tied three times and four lead changes. Tied at 22, the teams traded 3-poitners with Madi Greenwood and Keanna Kelly sinking consecutive triples. The Lady Buffs scored five straight points but Dorsey's 3-pointer to end the half trimmed the deficit to 32-31. The 3-pointer but the senior over 1,000 points for her career.

West Texas A&M scored the first four points of the second half to take its largest lead of the game at 36-31. The Belles answered back-to-back layups but WT answered with a jumper to make it 38-35. Dorsey answer with another 3-pointer and scored five of eight points during an 8-0 run as ASU built a 46-38 advantage.  WT made a 3-pointer but Dorsey add six straight points for ASU's largest lead of the game at 51-42 with 2:04 to go in the third quarter. WT would score seven of the final nine points of the quarter to cut ASU's deficit to 53-49 going into the deciding fourth quarter.

Watson led WT with 24 points and added eight rebounds while Decker scored 21 points.

The Belles will face the winner of Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Kingsville at 1 p.m. in the LSC Tournament Championship.