DENTON, Texas – Eastern New Mexico Women's Basketball pushed #10 Texas Woman's till the very end, but fell on the road, 81-71, against the Pioneers on Saturday afternoon at Kitty Magee Arena. The Greyhounds slip to 4-6 overall, while sporting a 0-4 Lone Star Conference (LSC) record. Meanwhile, TWU move to 10-1 on the season with a 4-0 conference record.

The Greyhounds rushed out to a 9-4 lead after seven points from Jamila Nansikombi-Gunter. Later, Texas Woman's responded with nine straight points to take their first lead of the game, 18-13. Jaz Salon cut into the advantage before the end of the quarter with a pair of baskets, 19-18 TWU. Eastern took the advantage in the opening minutes of the second period, just for the Pioneers to retake the lead. Vanessa Oduah scored three field goals down the stretch of the half for Eastern, but Texas Woman's led 40-34 at the break.
 
Shortly into the 3^rd quarter, TWU increased their lead to 10 points after a 7-0 streak. Eastern matched the Pioneers down the stretch for the period, with Texas Woman's leading 62-52. Midway through the final period, Deja Adrian had a personal six-point streak that brought the deficit to just six points, TWU 66-60. Eastern was within six points with 19 seconds to play, but the Pioneers iced the game with four free-throws to win the contest, 81-71.

NOTABLE STATS

• The Greyhounds finished shooting 54.3% from the field (25-46), 38.9% from behind the arc  (7-18), and slashed 14-20 at the foul line (70.0%). On the other side, the #10 Pioneers compiled 51.1% field goal shooting (24-47), holding a 47.1% from three (8-17), while finishing 25-30 at the charity stripe (83.3%).
• Both teams finished with 30 points in the paint, as the Greyhounds held the edge in rebounding (28-23).
• Oduah posted a team best 19 points from the bench, while adding a team high five assists. Nansikombi-Gunter supplied 16 points and five rebounds (ENMU high), with Adrian chipping in with 14 points. Adamari Waddell supplied eight points and four rebounds from the bench, with Ashley Shipley supplying a team best three steals, along with three points and four rebounds.

FROM THE SOURCE

"We scored the ball very efficiently tonight against TWU," said Head Women's Basketball Coach Blake Huber. " We struggles to string together stops and didn't execute our defensive principles or system. The ball got into the paint too much and we didn't guard the bounce or gap well enough to win," said Huber. "We will look to respond off Christmas break and try to make a run 2nd semester,".

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE

• Oduah supplied a season best 19 points and five assists, while making a career best four three-point baskets.
• The Greyhounds restart play in 2024, heading to Odessa, Texas to play UT Permian Basin on Thursday, Jan. 4. The first tip is set for 4:15 p.m. (MST).