3/4/2020 | Women’s Basketball PORTALES, N.M. – The Eastern New Mexico women’s basketball team will enter the quarterfinals of the Lone Star Conference Women’s Basketball Championship ranked ninth in the South Central Region.
The Greyhounds remained in the ninth spot in the rankings for the second consecutive week behind Thursday night’s quarterfinal opponent Tarleton State with a record of 18-8 against Division II competition. With the champions of the RMAC Postseason Tournament and the LSC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament as well as six at-large remaining bids advancing to the NCAA Division II National Tournament, Thursday night’s game will be vital for both Eastern New Mexico and Tarleton State.
The Hounds will ride a four-game winning streak into Thursday evening’s contest in Frisco, Texas during which time they have outscored opponents by a +22.3 scoring margin. Eastern New Mexico earned the no. 5 seed in the LSC Women’s Basketball Championship Tournament and overcame a slow start on Tuesday night inside Greyhound Arena to take down Oklahoma Christian by a 70-52 final in the opening round of the tournament.
The win on Tuesday night gave head coach Josh Prock his 100th win as Eastern New Mexico head women’s basketball coach, joining legendary coach Wayne Moore as the only two coaches to reach 100 wins in the history of the program.
Eastern New Mexico ranks 15th in all of Division II women’s basketball in rebounding margin (+9.5) and leads the Lone Star Conference in total rebounding with an average of 45.4 rebounds per contest. The 2019-20 Greyhounds have totaled the most total (1,316) and offensive (462) rebounds in school history and have limited opponents to a school record 58.9 points per contest throughout the year.
Seven Lone Star Conference teams remained in this week’s South Central Regional Poll as Lubbock Christian, West Texas A&M and Texas A&M-Commerce enter the final poll ranked no. 1-3 before the official selections to the tournament are made on Sunday, Mar. 8th. Colorado Mesa, Western Colorado University and Westminster (Utah) sit no. 4-6 while Angelo State, Tarleton State and Eastern New Mexico occupy the seventh, eighth and nine spots.
The full 64-team field for the NCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Tournament will be announced at 8 p.m. local time on Sunday, Mar. 8th.Tip-off for the LSC Women’s Basketball Championship quarterfinal match-up between Eastern New Mexico and Tarleton State is set for 8:30 p.m. central standard time in Frisco, Texas at the Comerica Center.
