The Eastern New Mexico women’s basketball team dropped their first contest to a Division II opponent of the season by a final score of 97-96 on the road at Oklahoma Christian.
The exciting match-up from start to finish featured seven lead changes with each team building double-digit leads at different points throughout the contest. A Treyanna Clay lay-up tied the contest up at 96-96 just moments before a costly foul by the Hounds on the ensuing possession set up the Eagles with their winning free-throw attempt with five seconds remaining on the clock.
Teams alternated 30-point quarters in the second half after the Hounds outscored Oklahoma Christian 31-18 in the third to grab a 76-65 lead heading into the final quarter of action. That lead was short lived however as Oklahoma Christian answered with a huge final period of their own, outscoring Eastern 32-20.
Senior Treyanna Clay was one of five Hounds in double-digit scoring numbers, finishing the game with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting from the field. Sophomore Alivia Lewis was next on the box score in scoring for the Hounds with 13 points, while freshman Zamorye Cox converted 4-of-6 attempts from behind the three-point line to finish with 12 points.
The deciding factor in the first of two crucial road contests for the Hounds over the holiday break proved to be Oklahoma Christian’s Addy Clift, who posted a school-record 44 points, including eight three pointers and 12 makes from the charity stripe.
Both units had efficient games from the field, with Eastern posting a final shooting percentage of 44.3 percent (35-of-79) while Oklahoma Christian converted on 28-of-65 shots from the field for a mark of 43.1 percent. The Hounds matched a season high with 13 three-point makes and outrebounded the Eagles by a final total of 45-to-41.
The Hounds will look to bounce back on New Years Eve with their second straight road contest in Lubbock, Texas against Lubbock Christian.
