Zias notch third win in four games

KINGSVILLE, Texas — All of a sudden, the Eastern New Mexico University women's basketball team is rolling.

After dropping 10 in a row to start the season, the Zias picked up their third win over the last four games, using a 14-0 run over a span of nearly eight minutes in the second half on Thursday for a 65-58 Lone Star Conference victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Thursday morning.

Senior guard Tara Johnson of Portales led three Zias in double figures with 15 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the floor. ENMU (3-11, 2-4 LSC) has averaged just over 60 points in their recent surge after scoring just 46.6 per contest before that.

Freshman forward Nelsha Peterson added 12 points and a season-high eight rebounds for ENMU, while Texico freshman Jaylyn Cooper finished with 11 points, six caroms and a pair of steals.

Freshman guard Ashley Viera scored 14 points off the bench for Kingsville (3-9, 1-5), which lost its eighth in a row. Senior post Brandi Clark added 12 points and senior guard Kaitlyn Lowen scored 10.

There were eight ties and 16 lead changes in the game, but the Zias broke away after Clark's layup gave the Javs their final lead at 39-37 with 12:37 to go.

Junior guard Taylor Collier's basket tied the score, and Cooper added a free throw on the next trip for a 40-39 lead. Cooper followed with a 3-pointer off an offensive rebound by Collier on the next trip.

The Javs didn't score again until Clark's jumper with 4:41 to go made it 51-41. Kingsville went 0-for-10 from the field and turned the ball over four times during the decisive stretch.

Kingsville got as close as 60-55 in the final half-minute before the Zias closed it out by hitting 5-of-8 free throws in the remaining time.