WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PLAY CAMERON IN 2022 LSC CHAMPIONSHIP OPENING ROUND

Eastern New Mexico women’s basketball enter the opening round of the 2022 LSC Conference Tournament against No. 6 seed Cameron University on Tuesday, Mar. 1, with a 5 pm (MST) tipoff. The No. 11 seed Hounds will travel to Lawton, Okla. to face Cameron on their home court.

2022 LONE STAR CONFERENCE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Lone Star Conference announced the LSC 2022 Women’s Basketball Championship Field on Saturday afternoon. 12 teams received places in the postseason tournament, with the top four seeds earning a bye straight to the quarterfinals. As for the other eight teams, they will play in an opening round game held at the higher seed on Mar. 1. From then, quarterfinal matches through the final will be held at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas, from Mar. 4-6.

ON THE AIR

Tuesday’s game will be broadcast on the radio on 105.9 KSEL-FM and KSELCountry.com with Donald “Doc” Elder calling the action. The games will also be broadcast on 106.5 KEND in Roswell and Artesia.

LAST TIME OUT

Eastern capped off the regular season with a 66-43 victory over Western New Mexico university. Iyanna McCurdy paved the way with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Natalie Stice was just behind in both points and rebounds with 15 points and seven rebounds.

SCOUTING THE HOUNDS

Eastern finished the regular season with a 10-13 record, scoring 60.6 points per game (ppg), and allowing 66.0 ppg. From the field, ENMU is shooting 35.9%, 25.8% at a distance, and 66.0% at the free throw line. In terms or rebounding, Eastern find 41.0 rebounds per game (rpg), handout 9.0 assists per game (apg), collect 8.8 steals per game (spg), and post 2.0 blocks per game (bpg).

McCurdy and Stice have been the main scorers for the Hounds this season, with 13.7 ppg and 13.1 ppg, respectively. MeMe Amand adds 7.9 ppg for Eastern, and Kamirah Decker chips in with 6.7 ppg. On the glass, McCurdy leads the team with 7.7 rpg and Stice finds 5.5 boards per contest. Bella Stone leads the group in assists (1.9 apg) and steal (1.7 spg). Decker leads the team with 0.6 bpg.

Among other conference competitions, the Hounds are the third best rebounding team in the LSC with 41.0 rpg. Eastern also stand in 4th for rebounding margin at 3.8+ rpg. McCurdy lands in the top ten in the conference for both scoring (13.7 ppg, 9th) and rebounding  (7.7 ppg, 7th). McCurdy also hits the top-10 for field goal percentage at 43.1%, and Stice’s 1.8 three pointers per game which is 8th in the conference.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES 

Cameron finished its season at 16-10 and one of the top scoring teams in the nation. Recently, CU picked up a crucial win over Texas A&M-Kingsville, 74-68, to jump into the No. 6 seed on the final day of competition. The last time Cameron and Eastern meet the Aggies came out on top by the narrowest of margins, 73-72, on Feb. 10, 2022.

CU are currently scoring at a rate of 75.9 ppg, and allowing 69.5 ppg. That ranks second in the LSC for scoring and 21st in all of Division II. Cameron is shooting 39.8% overall, 33.2% from three point range (4th in LSC), and 75.1% at the foul line (2nd in LSC). The Aggies average 35.7 rpg, 14.1 apg (5th in LSC), collect 11.9 spg (2nd in LSC), and hold 2.9 bpg.

Maighan Hedge leads the team in scoring with 20.6 ppg, also leading the LSC, and placing 9th in Division II. Stephanie Peterson and Katie King each average over 10.0 ppg, 13.5 ppg and 10.3 ppg, respectively. Peterson and King are also the teams best rebounders, with Petersen finding 7.0 rbg and King collecting 4.5 rpg. Peterson and King top the team in steals with 2.9 spg and 2.7 spg, respectively.