PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico women's basketball head east for a pair of Lone Star Conference (LSC) games this weekend. First, the Greyhounds will tangle with the Patriots of The University of Texas at Tyler on Thursday, Jan. 13 with first tip at 4 p.m. (MST). Then, Eastern will face nationally ranked #6 Texas A&M University-Commerce on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 1 p.m. (MST). The Lions received the national ranking from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) in its most recent poll on Jan. 11.

ON THE AIR

Both games will be broadcast on 105.9 KSEL-FM and KSELCountry.com with Donald "Doc" Elder calling the action. Games will also be broadcast on 106.5 KEND in Roswell and Artesia.

LAST TIME OUT

Eastern travel to Texas following a win over University of Arkansas-Fort Smith on Jan. 8 at Greyhound Arena. The win pushed ENMU to 5-4 overall and 1-2 in conference play. Natalie Stice led the Greyhounds in scoring with 23 points, along with nine rebounds. Iyanna McCurdy also chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds in route to the Hounds victory.

SCOUTING THE HOUNDS

The Greyhounds currently are posting 58.7 points per game (ppg), while holding teams to 62.3 ppg. From the field, Eastern has a 37.5% shooting percentage, 28.2% from behind the arc, and 63.0% free throw percentage. The Hounds are collecting 38.0 rebounds per game (rbg), distributing 9.0 assists per game (apg), finding 8.6 steals per game (spg), and finishing with 2.3 blocks per game (bpg).
 
Individually, Stice is the team's leading scorer and rebounder with 12.7 ppg and 6.2 rpg, respectively. McCurdy sits in second on the team for both points, 10.4 ppg, and rebounds, 5.4 rpg. Other contributors on offense include Laura Rowe with 8.0 ppg, and MeMe Amand with 7.8 ppg. Bella Stone paces the team in assists, 2.0 apg, and steals, 1.8 spg, while Kamirah Decker leads the team in blocks with 0.9 bpg.
 
Eastern stand in third in the LSC for rebound defense, holding opponents to just 33.8 rpg. Individually, Decker sits in the top-10 for blocks per game with 0.9 bpg.

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION 

The University of Texas at Tyler
 
The Patriots hold a record of 8-3 on the season with a conference standing of 1-1. In its last game, UTT dropped a road contest to West Texas A&M 62-53 on Saturday, Jan. 8^th.

UT Tyler are one of top scoring teams in the conference, finding 68.4 ppg (5^th in LSC), and hold opposing teams to just 61.7 ppg. The Patriots are also very efficient, with a 47.0% field goal percentage (2^nd in LSC), 31.7% from distance (5^th in LSC), and 66.0% from the line. Additionally, UTT pull down 37.8 rpg, hand out 16.5 apg (2^nd in LSC), notch 6.4 spg, and grab 3.0 bpg.
 
Leah Davis is the standout for the Patriots, scoring 15.8 ppg (5^th in LSC) and posting 7.9 rpg (6^th in LSC), both team highs. Montse Gutierrez sits just behind in points with 10.5 ppg, while Kelsey Crouse adds 5.2 rbg and leads the team in assists with 3.6 apg.
 
#6 Texas A&M University-Commerce
 
The sixth ranked Lions hold an 11-1 record and a 0-1 record in LSC play. TAMUC enter the weekend after suffering its first defeat of the season against West Texas A&M University, 82-72, on Thursday Jan. 6. The Lions will play nationally ranked #4 Lubbock Christian University on Thursday, Jan. 13. before playing the Greyhounds.
 
Texas A&M-Commerce are one of the top scoring teams the nation with 82.3 ppg, which is 1^st in the LSC, and 8^th in all of Division II. The Lions defense only allows 63.6 ppg, for a scoring margin of 18.8 pts, holding the top spot in the conference, and 13^th in all of Division II. TAMUC shoot 42.4 % from the field (4^th in LSC), 30.8 % on three-pointers, and 74.7% from the charity stripe (4^th in LSC). The Lions currently sit in 3^rd in all of Division II for rebounding with 46.6 rpg, which is 1^st in the LSC. Texas A&M-Commerce are outrebounding opponents by a 10.1 rebound margin, 1^st in LSC, and 14^th in all of Division II. TAMUC also provide 15.1 apg (3^rd in LSC), 7.3 spg, and 3.1 bpg (5^th in LSC).
 
Dyani Robinson leads the teams offensive effort with 15.8 ppg, standing 4^th in the LSC. DesiRay Kernal is just behind in scoring with 11.9 ppg, and is the team's leading rebounder with 8.3 rpg (4^th in LSC). Laila Lawrence contributes 9.3 ppg, while Juliana Louis adds 6.3 rpg overall.