PORTALES, N.M. – The Eastern New Mexico women’s basketball team opened Lone Star Conference play in impressive fashion Thursday night with a strong 80-64 win at home over MSU Texas.
The Hounds (5-1, 1-0 LSC) led by as much as eight in the first quarter of tonight’s game sponsored by Wienerschnitel. After the Mustangs (1-4, 0-1 LSC) tied the score at two 37 seconds into the game, ENMU scored eight unanswered over the next three minute stretch, capped off on a Dasia Johnson layup with 6:23 to go to make it a 10-2 game.
The Mustangs rallied, outscoring the Hounds by an 8-3 margin to cut the ENMU lead to 13-10 with 2:28left, buckets by Chelsea Hunter and Alivia Lewis gave Eastern a 17-10 edge heading into the second quarter.
The closest MSU could cut into the ENMU advantage was six at 21-15 with 7:56 left in the second quarter before Eastern put together a huge 25-4 run to close out the half. Junior guard Sydney Clark’s layup with three seconds remaining to made it a 46-19 Hounds lead heading into the break.
Eastern outshot the Mustangs by a 53-to-26 percent margin from the floor in the opening half as Clay led the Hounds with 13 points, nine of which came during ENMU’s big run in the second quarter.
The Greyhounds built their lead to as much as 34 in the second half on a Hunter three-pointer with 2:55to go in the third quarter, setting the score at 61-27.
The Hounds took a 65-33 lead into the fourth as the MSU Texas rallied, but the ENMU lead was too great as the Greyhounds secured the 16-point victory.
Eastern shot 27-of-60 (45-percent) from the floor and converted a blistering 20-of-24 (83-percent) from the free throw line.
Clay led five players in double-figures, scoring 15 points in just 14 minutes of action on 5-of-8 shooting and made all five of her free throw attempts. Freshman guard Zamorye Cox put together her first career double-digit game with 14 points on 6-of-8 from the floor and 2-for-2 from three-point range.
The Hounds got some solid scoring off of their bench, as Hunter and Jena Mehlbrech each chipped in 12 points. Lewis rounded out the double-figure scorers, putting together her first double-double of the season by scoring 11 points and tying her career-high with 13 rebounds to with a season-best three blocks.
Johnson led the team with five assists, her fourth game of the season with five or more in a game to go with a team-high three steals.
With the win, the Hounds are off to their best start since the 2008-09 season when ENMU won five straight after dropping the season opener. Eastern also moved to 5-0 against NCAA Division II opponents.
The 16-point margin of victory was also Eastern’s biggest win over MSU Texas since Mar. 1, 2008 when Hounds defeated the Mustangs 75-56.
The Greyhounds will look to stay unbeaten in conference play as Eastern will host Cameron at 2 p.m. on Saturday.
