CANYON, Texas -- Midwestern State just didn't have enough to battle all the way back against No. 7-ranked West Texas A&M as the Lady Buffs came away with  71-54 win at the First United Bank Center.

It was the third-straight win for WT which improved to 10-1 on the season in its Lone Star Conference opener while the Mustangs dropped their second-straight decision to fall to 9-5 and 1-2.

Junior forward Andrea Carter just missed her sixth double-double of the season finishing with 15 points and nine rebounds, while fellow junior Taylor Dowd matched a career-high with 12 points.

The Mustangs trailed by as many as nine points in the first half, but fought through early fall trouble to take it to West Texas A&M on the glass in the second half controlling a 24-12 edge.

MSU clawed back to within five points after Kirsti Degelia and Dianna Jones converted layups in transition just a minute and a half into the second frame.

But West Texas A&M's inside duo of Chontiquah White (19 points, 5 rebounds) and Devin Griffin (14 points, 5 rebounds) combined for 33 points as White powered the Lady Buffs' lead back into double figures as she scored seven straight points for a 40-30 WT advantage.

The Mustangs used a 7-2 run to climb back to within 49-43 after Dowd splashed in consecutive shots with 8:29 to go.

West Texas A&M's Jordan Vessels hit a floater from the baseline on the next possession and a foul by Dowd away from the ball led to a White layup before Raven Gerald layer in another bucket on the break to push the Lady Buff lead back to 56-45 with 6:57 to go.

The Mustangs got no closer than nine points the remainder of the contest.

Senior guard Kirsti Degelia tallied 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting, while senior forward Skyler Warrick pitched in six points to go along with four rebounds off of the bench.

Midwestern State plays host to Eastern New Mexico Saturday afternoon at D.L. Ligon Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m.