PORTALES, N.M. - The Eastern New Mexico women's basketball team will look to extend its five-game winning streak when it hosts UT Permian Basin on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 5:30 p.m. at the Steve Loy Family Foundation Arena in Portales, N.M.



The Greyhounds (13-5 LSC) currently sit in a three-way tie for fourth place in the Lone Star Conference standings alongside RV Lubbock Christian and Angelo State. Eastern is under consideration for the NCAA Division II national tournament, in which the top eight teams from the Lone Star Conference and Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference make the field.

ENMU leads the all-time series against the Falcons, 11-6.

Eastern New Mexico has won five consecutive games, including victories over Cameron (76-47), No. 8 West Texas A&M (61-57 OT), UT Dallas (69-51), Texas A&M International (69-59), and Texas A&M-Kingsville (57-56) this past Saturday in Kingsville.

Chloe Dallas has been the catalyst for the Greyhounds' recent success. The forward scored a game-high 19 points in Saturday's win over Texas A&M-Kingsville, connecting on 7-of-13 shots while adding four rebounds, two steals, and a block in 24 minutes of action.

Dallas leads ENMU with 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while shooting .548 from the field. She has also recorded 26 steals and 19 blocks this season.

Julieta Ceja provides a consistent scoring threat for Eastern, averaging 10.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. The forward has been deadly from beyond the arc, shooting .446 from three-point range while also contributing 25 steals on the defensive end.

Point guard Aaliyah Smith orchestrates the Greyhounds' offense, averaging 9.2 points per game while leading the team with 65 assists. Smith has also been active defensively with 36 steals despite shooting just .362 from the field.

One of Eastern's greatest strengths has been its bench production. The Greyhounds received significant contributions from reserves Nataya Lockett and Mekhila Brown in Saturday's win over Texas A&M-Kingsville. Lockett provided a spark with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting, adding five rebounds and three steals in 28 minutes. Brown chipped in 12 points and grabbed four rebounds in 22 minutes of work.

Eastern leads the LSC and ranks sixth in the nation in bench points per game at 33.8. The Hounds' depth has been a key factor in their success throughout the season.

Defensively, ENMU has been aggressive and disruptive. The Greyhounds average 11.1 steals per game, which ranks fourth in the LSC and 49th in the nation. Eastern forces 20.7 turnovers per game while committing just 16.9 themselves, creating a plus-3.8 turnover margin.

As a team, the Greyhounds average 70.5 points per game while holding opponents to 60.1. Eastern shoots .417 from the field compared to .378 for opponents and outrebounds teams 38.5 to 35.0 per game. The Hounds also hold advantages in three-point shooting (.313 to .295), assists (14.3 to 11.2), and blocks (2.3 to 1.8).

The only statistical category where ENMU trails is free throw shooting, as the Greyhounds shoot .628 from the charity stripe while opponents convert at a .705 clip.

UT Permian Basin enters Thursday's contest coming off a 60-56 loss to nationally ranked Lubbock Christian.

Kenadi Rising has been the Falcons' go-to player this season. The forward led all players with a season-high 20 points in the loss to Lubbock Christian while also grabbing a team-high seven rebounds and adding one assist and one block.

Rising leads UTPB with 10.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting .422 from the field. She has also contributed 39 assists and 24 steals.

Madison Walters provides secondary scoring for the Falcons, averaging 8.9 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Walters shoots .424 from the field and has been a defensive pest with a team-high 48 steals to go along with 32 assists.

Mikalah Buckely rounds out the Falcons' top scorers, averaging 7.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. Buckely shoots .405 from the field and has recorded 32 assists and 21 steals.

As a team, UT Permian Basin averages 62.5 points per game while allowing 59.3. The Falcons shoot .414 from the field compared to .375 for opponents and hold a slight edge in three-point shooting at .284 to .288.

UTPB's greatest strength is free throw shooting, as the Falcons convert .704 from the line while opponents shoot .678. The Falcons also outrebound opponents 36.3 to 32.5 per game and dish out more assists (12.3 to 10.8).

UT Permian Basin averages 10.0 steals per game compared to 8.9 for opponents but commits 18.8 turnovers per game while forcing 18.2. The Falcons average 1.1 blocks per game while opponents record 1.7.

Following Thursday's contest, Eastern New Mexico will close out the regular season on Saturday when it hosts Angelo State in a critical matchup between teams tied for fourth place in the LSC standings. The game will have significant implications for NCAA tournament seeding as the Greyhounds look to secure its postseason position.