Saturday, January 14, 2017
PORTALES, NM —Midwestern State (4-10; LSC 1-7) took two brief leads in the opening minutes, but the Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball team (12-3; LSC 8-0) controlled play and dominated Saturday's Lone Star Conference game at Greyhound Arena.
Kassandra Harris poured in 15 points to lead the Greyhounds to a 78-64 victory.
With the win, the Greyhounds improved to 17-27 against the Mustangs, with an 11-10 mark at home. ENMU also improved to 8-0 in LSC play for the second time in team history and the first since the 1991-92 season. Eastern is off to its best overall start since a 12-4 mark to open the 1998-99 season. The last time ENMU won at least 12 games was during the 2006-07 campaign, when the squad finished with a 14-12 record.
The Turning Point
- With the score tied at 9-all midway through the first quarter, Brandi Gomez drained a trey to give the Hounds the lead for good and ignite a 26-5 run over the ensuing 7:48 of play
- Johna McClelland capped the run with a pair of short jumpers to stake ENMU to a 34-14 advantage
- A late run in the second half allowed Midwestern State to close within 10 points, but the Mustangs could pull no closer
Beyond the Box Score
- Kassandra Harris led the Greyhounds in scoring for the second straight game and the seventh time this season
- McClelland matched her season-high with 14 points for the third time this season and reached double figures for the first time since ENMU played Tarleton State
In the Numbers
- The 14-point margin of victory was the largest for ENMU in conference play and the sixth win of the season by double figures
- The Greyhounds scored a season-best 21 points off turnovers and held a 12-2 lead in second-chance points
- ENMU held a 35-28 edge on the boards, which included a slim 9-7 lead on the offensive glass
- Mikaehla Connor matched Harris with 15 points and dished out three assists
- Connor shot five-for-eight from the floor
- Harris grabbed a team-high nine caroms, while Dasia Johnson finished with five
- Brandi Gomez contributed 11 points and had three steals
- Micheline Mercelita led MSU with 14 points
Up Next
The Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball team will return to action next Thursday, to open a two-game road trip at Texas A&M-Kingsville. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:15 p.m. MST.