PORTALES, N.M. - The Eastern New Mexico women's basketball team heads to the Lone Star Conference tournament for the second-straight season and will face off against fourth-seeded Lubbock Christian in the first round on Friday, March 6, at 8:30 p.m. CT at the Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas.
 


Eastern enters the tournament with momentum after winning seven 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), Texas A&M-Kingsville (57-56), UT Permian Basin (72-67) and Angelo State (64-50) this past Saturday in Portales.
 
The Greyhounds finished the regular season with a 19-9 overall record and tied for fourth in the LSC with a 15-5 conference mark, riding a seven-game win streak into postseason play.
 
Senior forward Chloe Dallas has been a dominant force in the paint, averaging 14.3 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 56.2 percent from the field. Dallas has recorded six double-doubles this season and added 27 steals and 24 blocks on the defensive end.
 
Guard Aaliyah Smith provides a steady scoring presence at 10.1 points per game while shooting 37.6 percent from the field. Smith has been the team's primary facilitator with 73 assists and has been active defensively with 39 steals.
 
Julieta Ceja rounds out the double-figure scorers at 10.0 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, connecting on 43.3 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc while contributing 25 steals.
 
Nataya Lockett adds 8.3 points per game while shooting 37.9 percent from the field, dishing out 47 assists and recording 41 steals. Mekhila Brown contributes 7.2 points per game on 55.6 percent shooting with 12 steals.
 
Eastern has dominated opponents on both ends of the floor this season, outscoring teams 70.3 to 60.0 points per game. The Greyhounds shoot 41.8 percent from the field compared to 37.4 percent for opponents and hold a 38.9 to 35.2 advantage on the glass.
 
ENMU's defensive pressure has been a key factor, forcing 20.2 turnovers per game while committing just 16.9. The Hounds average 10.8 steals per game, ranking fourth in the LSC and 55th in the nation. Eastern also leads the conference and ranks sixth nationally in bench points per game at 32.9.
 
The Greyhounds distribute the ball effectively with 14.3 assists per game compared to 11.1 for opponents and protect the rim with 2.5 blocks per contest.
 
In the regular-season finale against Angelo State, Smith poured in a game-high 19 points, connecting on 6-of-13 shots from the field, including three 3-pointers, while adding two assists and two steals. Dallas dominated the paint with a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double, her sixth of the season, while shooting an efficient 6-of-10 from the field.
 
Eastern and Lubbock Christian are tied 24-24 in the overall series, though the Lady Chaps own a 10-0 record in the last 10 meetings. The last win for the Hounds came on Jan. 16, 2020, when ENMU defeated LCU 69-68 in Portales. This marks the first-ever meeting between the schools in the LSC tournament.
 
Lubbock Christian boasts a 23-6 overall record and is currently riding a three-game win streak, which includes a dominating 73-44 win over Sul Ross State on Saturday.
 
Junior Kennedy Chappell leads the Lady Chaps at 15.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game while shooting 50.7 percent from the field. Chappell has been a complete player with 101 assists and 53 steals. In Saturday's win, Chappell scored 16 points, marking her 25th double-figure scoring performance of the season and the 35th of her career, while adding at least four assists, two steals and two blocks.
 
Freshman Meg Meekins provides 12.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 40.1 percent from the field. Meekins scored 13 points against Sul Ross State for her 19th double-digit effort of the season. She has also contributed 67 assists and 22 steals.
 
Tia Johnson adds 7.4 points per game on 43.6 percent shooting with 40 assists, 19 steals and nine blocks. Johnson scored eight of her 10 points in the fourth quarter against Sul Ross State.
 
The Lady Chaps outscore opponents 67.7 to 57.7 points per game while shooting 44.0 percent from the field compared to 36.8 percent for opponents. LCU connects on 35.0 percent from 3-point range and 73.4 percent from the free-throw line.
 
Lubbock Christian averages 34.0 rebounds per game compared to 33.3 for opponents and dishes out 13.6 assists per contest. The Lady Chaps force 14.9 turnovers per game while committing 13.5 and average 6.7 steals and 1.8 blocks per contest.
 
Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. inside the Comerica Center and will be streamed on FloCollege.
 
 ENMU athletics will host  a pregame celebration before the game on March 6, at Kelly's Craft Tavern in Frisco from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Please RSVP with the link above.