Friday, December 30, 2016

PORTALES, NM — The Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball team (8-3) used a season-best 16-rebound differential to cruise to an 82-46 victory over visiting Sul Ross State (6-7), Friday evening at Greyhound Arena. In the final contest before New Year's, junior guard Mikaehla Connor challenged for the program's first triple-double, with a 14-point, 10-rebound, and six-assist performance.

The win improved Eastern to 30-2 overall in the series against Sul Ross State, with a 22-1 mark at home. The victory also was ENMU's seventh in the last eight games. The Hounds are 5-1 at home this season.

The Turning Point

• After the Lobos took a 5-3 lead, the Hounds tied the game on a short jumper from Connor, which ignited an 11-1 run
• Mikaehla Connor was dominant in the opening quarter and had five points and six rebounds in the opening 10 minutes

Defensively Speaking

• Eastern registered a season-best 11 blocked shots in the game, paced by Johna McClelland's career-best five rejections
• McClelland's five blocks was the most by a Greyhound since she blocked six against Texas A&M-Kingsville last season
• ENMU also had 11 steals, just one shy of the season high, set against Texas A&M-Commerce
• Shelby Jones paced the Hounds with three steals
• The defense limited Sul Ross to a .256 shooting percentage, while ENMU held an 18-7 edge in points off turnovers
• With a 48-28 halftime lead, the Hounds limited SRSU to just two field goals in the third quarter

Board Games

• Eastern is 5-2 when outrebounding the opposition and 2-0 when holding a double-digit lead
• The Hounds held a 56-40 edge on the boards with an 18-10 advantage on the offensive glass
• Eastern's advantage translated to a 19-10 lead in second-chance points
• Connor paced ENMU with 10 rebounds, while McClelland and Daeshi McCants had eight apiece

Double Double

• Connor registered the team's third double double of the season (Kassandra Harris and McCants had the others)
• The double double was the first of her Greyhound career

Leaders

• McCants paced the Hounds with 15 points and shot six-for-nine from the floor
• Brandi Gomez contributed 12 points
• The Hounds were balanced offensively and received scoring contributions from all 10 participants
• Kenya Miles led the Lobos with 10 points, 13 rebounds and two blocked shots

Up Next
The Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball team will resume Lone Star Conference play next Tuesday, at Western New Mexico. The contest is scheduled to tip-off at 5:30 p.m. MST.