LAWTON, OKLA. – (11) Eastern New Mexico women's basketball ended up on the wrong end of a back and forth thriller against (6) Cameron University, 88-85, in the opening round of the 2022 LSC Women's Basketball Tournament. The Hounds season ends at 10-14, while Cameron move to the next round with a 17-10 record.

Both teams started off the game shooting pretty well, with CU jumping out to a 7-4 lead after a few minutes. Eastern gained the lead after eight unanswered points, MeMe Amand connected a layup and Bella Stone hit back to back threes, 12-7. Eastern benefited later in the first frame with another 8-0 stretch. With the score at 14-12 ENMU, Amand found a layup underneath and Anasha Hurst and Natalie Stice each nailed jumpers, 22-12 ENMU. The quarter ended with the Hounds holding an eight-point advantage, 26-18.
 
The Hounds lead didn't last long into the second quarter as Cameron sparked a 9-2 run midway through the period to tie the game at 33-33. Amand ended the scoring drought with a layup and Iyanna McCurdy and Hanna Nussbaumer found field goals to end the quarter, 41-40 CU.
 
Cameron started the third period with the opening five points to jump out to six points lead, but ENMU responded with an Amand bucket and a Stice triple, 46-45 CU. However, the Aggies found a 9-0 spurt to take a 10-point lead midway in the third quarter, 55-45 CU. Stice ended the scoreless drought with two layups, and Eastern got a much-needed scoring streak to end the quarter. ENMU ended the period on a 9-6 streak, trailing just 66-60 at the third period break.
 
Eastern erased the early fourth quarter lead after an 10-1 run gave ENMU a 70-67 advantage. Amand found three layups, while Stice hit jumper and Stone finished underneath to take the lead. However, three pointers brought the Aggies into the game as each team traded basket for basket, leaving an 84-80 CU score with less than a minute to play. ENMU brought the score to 86-85 CU after Amand hit a turning layup and Stice hit a triple with thirty seconds to play. Cameron hit both free throws as the Hounds stopped the clock with a foul, and a late attempt to tie the game didn't fall as Cameron squeaked by with an 88-85 win over Eastern.

NOTABLE STATS

• The Hounds closed the game with a 44.6% (33-74) field goal percentage, 38.9% (7-18) from distance, and 63.2% (12-19) at the foul line. The Aggies finished shooting 53.4% (31-58) from the field, 42.9% (12-28) from behind the arc, and 66.7% (14-21) from the charity stripe.
• Eastern pulled down more rebounds then the Aggies, 39-35, and outscored Cameron in the paint 42-32.
• Amand led all scorers with 23 points and also was the leader in rebounds with 12. McCurdy provided 20 points to the team, while Stice chipped in with 17 points, and Stone added 16 to the Eastern effort.
• Hurst collected eight rebounds in the game, and McCurdy found six boards.
• Hurst and Stice both contributed four assists, while Hurst poked away a team best three steals.

FROM THE SOURCE

"This group played their hearts out tonight. It was up there with one of the most amazing games I've been apart of" said Head Women's Basketball Coach Meghan De los Reyes. "The growth and improvement of this team, fighting through some much adversity, the challenge of coming off not playing last year, so many factors in the program, and being able to battle into playoffs and finish with the best performance we've had all year is something to be truly proud of".

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Amand posted a second double-double of the season, with a career best 23 points and tying a career high 12 rebounds. Amand set an individual single-season high 11 made field goals (also a career high), and a personal best for field goal attempts with 17.
• Stone marked the game with a career high in points (16), made field goals (5), field goal attempts (9), made free throws (4), three pointers made (2), and minutes (40).
• Hurst had their best rebounding performance, with eight rebounds in the contest.
• 85 points is the second highest scoring game for Eastern this season, only behind 86 points scored in a win against Oklahoma Christian (W, 86-76, 2/7/22). The Hounds tallied a season best 33 made field goals.
• Eastern finish its season at 10-14, while Cameron move on to play (3) #10 Texas A&M-Commerce.