PORTALES, N.M. - The Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball team cruised to an 88-60 victory over St. Edward's University on Saturday afternoon at the Steve Loy Family Foundation Arena. The win improves the Greyhounds to 11-4 overall and a perfect 7-0 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
"Huge for us to come out 2-0" stated head coach Blake Huber. "Our team is starting to buckle down defensively and come together as a unit offensively so I am very proud of how we played this weekend."
 
The victory marks the fifth consecutive win for the Hounds, who have now been victorious in 10 of its last 11 contests.
 
Chloe Dallas was unstoppable in limited action, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the field to finish with 17 points in just 11 minutes. The efficient performance also included five rebounds and three steals as Dallas provided a spark that the Hilltoppers had no answer for.
 
Nataya Lockett continued her strong play off the bench, contributing 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting while connecting on a pair of three-pointers. Lockett added four rebounds, two assists, one block, and a steal in 20 minutes of action.
 
Aaliyah Smith anchored the backcourt with 12 points while facilitating the offense with three assists and disrupting St. Edward's with three steals. Mekhila Brown matched Smith's scoring output with 12 points of her own while pulling down five rebounds and dishing out an assist.
 
The Greyhounds' bench once again proved to be a dominant force, outscoring the Hilltoppers' reserves by a staggering 46-9 margin. The depth and production from ENMU's second unit has been a defining characteristic of the team's success throughout the season.
 
Offensively, the Greyhounds tallied 20 assists overall and were led by Shay Moseberry who finished with five on the afternoon. Moseberry scored nine points and grabbed four rebounds.
 
"I am really pleased with how we played offensively today" added Huber. "We had 20 assists and really played off of each other really well. It was a balanced attack."
 
Defensive pressure was equally vital to the victory. The Hounds forced 25 turnovers from St. Edward's and capitalized on those mistakes by scoring 34 points off turnovers. The transition game allowed ENMU to maintain a high tempo and keep the Hilltoppers' defense on its heels throughout the afternoon.
 
St. Edward's (9-6, 3-4 LSC) struggled to find an answer for the Greyhounds' interior scoring and defensive intensity. The Hilltoppers were held well below their season scoring average as ENMU controlled the pace from the opening tip.
 
"We need to get clean some things up defensively and improve on that end of the floor heading into next week" Huber commented. "We need to be better in the half court in our coverages moving forward. We are very excited to get back to work on Monday."
 
The Greyhounds will now prepare for a challenging road trip. Eastern will travel to face Midwestern State on Thursday before taking on nationally ranked Lubbock Christian on Saturday in what promises to be a key conference showdown.