PORTALES, N.M. - Eastern New Mexico women's basketball will face its toughest test of the season Thursday night when third-ranked Texas Woman's University visits the Steve Loy Family Foundation Arena for a Lone Star Conference showdown. Tipoff is slated for 5:30 p.m.
 


The Greyhounds (12-6, 8-2 LSC) will look to snap a two-game losing skid against the Pioneers (16-1, 10-0 LSC), who enter the contest riding a 15-game winning streak and sitting atop the LSC standings.
 
ENMU leads the all-time series 34-27, but the Pioneers have dominated the recent matchups. The Greyhounds' last victory over Texas Woman's came in 2020, and they'll need a complete performance to end that drought against the nation's third-ranked team.
 
Eastern will rely heavily on senior forward Chloe Dallas, who leads the Greyhounds with 13.1 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Dallas has been particularly effective in recent outings, posting a double-double with 26 points and 11 rebounds in the team's most recent contest against sixth-ranked West Texas A&M. She's shooting an impressive 52.9 percent from the field while adding 12 steals and nine blocks on the season.
 
Julieta Ceja provides a secondary scoring threat at 10.3 points per game while pulling down 6.2 rebounds. The sharpshooter has connected on 43.6 percent of her three-point attempts and recorded 19 steals this season.
 
Aaliyah Smith rounds out the Greyhounds' top scorers at 9.9 points per game. The playmaker has dished out 41 assists and swiped 32 steals while averaging 2.1 rebounds per contest.
 
Texas Woman's counters with a balanced attack led by Averee Kleinhans and Gabby Elliott, who each average 17.0 points per game. Kleinhans adds 6.2 rebounds while shooting 46.0 percent from the field. She's also contributed 58 assists and 34 steals. Elliott dominates the paint with 11.3 rebounds per game on 55.1 percent shooting, while protecting the rim with 30 blocks and adding 15 steals.
 
Jada Celsur provides the Pioneers' third scoring option at 11.3 points per game. She contributes 4.1 rebounds, 31 assists and 27 steals while shooting 43.3 percent from the floor.
 
Eastern enters the matchup averaging 74.2 points per game while holding opponents to 61.1. The Greyhounds shoot 41.7 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from three-point range, but have struggled at the free-throw line at 62.6 percent.
 
ENMU's strength lies in its depth and defensive pressure. The Greyhounds lead the LSC and rank fifth nationally in bench points at 37.3 per game. They force 22.3 turnovers per contest while averaging 12.3 steals – second in the conference and 29th in the nation. Eastern also holds advantages in rebounding (39.3-35.6) and assists (15.2-11.6).
 
Texas Woman's presents a formidable challenge on both ends of the floor. The Pioneers average 72.7 points while limiting opponents to just 55.9. They lead the conference in field-goal percentage at 46.0 percent and free-throw shooting at 75.3 percent, while connecting on 33.1 percent from beyond the arc.
 
The Pioneers' defensive efficiency is equally impressive, holding opponents to 36.0 percent shooting and 29.7 percent from three-point range. Texas Woman's forces 18.6 turnovers per game while averaging 8.4 steals and 3.7 blocks. They also control the glass at 37.8 rebounds per contest compared to opponents' 32.4.
 
Both of Eastern's recent losses have come against nationally ranked opponents, including an 84-83 heartbreaker to sixth-ranked West Texas A&M in Portales. The Greyhounds will look to use their home-court advantage and defensive pressure to disrupt the Pioneers' perfect conference record.