Zais lose big to D-1 Texas El-Paso

EL PASO — Eastern New Mexico University’s women kept Division I Texas-El Paso off the scoreboard for the first four minutes of Tuesday’s exhibition matchup.

The Miners, though, responded with a 10-0 run to take the lead for good and went on to an 84-49 win over the Zias.

Sophomore guard Sparkle Taylor and junior guard Cameasha Turner each posted double-doubles for the Miners. Taylor scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, also collecting a game-high four assists, while Turner went 7-for-8 from the floor and finished with 15 points and 11 boards.

For a while, though, the Zias made it tough. UTEP missed four shots and had a turnover on its , missing five shots and turning the ball over three times, and the Zias took a 4-0 lead on a basket by junior Brittany Gutierrez and two free throws by junior Jaylyn Cooper after a steal.

Taylor and Turner each scored two baskets in the early run for the Miners. After Dominique Carter scored for the Zias, the Miners went on a 14-0 team and carried a 36-19 lead into halftime.

UTEP, which shot 41 percent in the first half, downed 18-of-34 shots after the intermission and steadily pulled away.

Junior guard Shayla Williams was the lone Zia in double figures, scoring 16 points and added five rebounds and three assists. ENMU went 11-for-12 from the foul line, led by Williams with 7-for-7.

ENMU has another exhibition game on tap Thursday, visiting New Mexico State in a 7 p.m. tipoff at Las Cruces.

SUMMARY

Tuesday

Women

Exhibition

Texas-El Paso 84, ENMU 49

Eastern New Mexico — Tori Tucker 2-6 0-0 4, Brittany Gutierrez 3-10 0-0 6, Sarah Stinnett 1-9 2-2 4, Dominique Carpenter 2-7 0-0 4, Jaylyn Cooper 2-4 2-2 7, Shayla Williams 4-10 7-7 16, Jordyn Cooper 0-7 0-0 0, Cassidy Doherty 1-4 0-0 3, Danielle Montoya 1-2 0-1 2, Aubree Turner 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 17-61 11-12 49.

Texas-El Paso — Irene Gari 2-8 0-0 4, Marta Miscenko 6-9 0-0 12, Cameasha Turner 7-8 1-1 15, Stacie Telles 2-5 2-2 6, Sparkle Taylor 10-18 5-8 25, Lulu McKinney 3-6 1-1 8, Marissa Rodriguez 1-1 0-0 3, Johni Welles 2-5 0-0 5, Daeshianna McCants 1-8 4-4 6, Lawna Kennedy 0-2 0-0 0, Rudiane Eduardo 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 34-73 13-16 84.

Halftime — Texas-El Paso 36, Eastern New Mexico 19. 3-pointers — Eastern New Mexico 4-29 (Turner 1-2, Ja. Cooper 1-3, Doherty 1-3, Williams 1-4, Montoya 0-1, Carpenter 0-2, Gutierrez 0-3, Tucker 0-3, Jo. Cooper 0-4, Stinnett 0-4), Texas-El Paso 3-11 (Rodriguez 1-1, Welles 1-1, McKinney 1-2, Eduardo 0-1, McCants 0-1, Taylor 0-1, Gari 0-2, Telles 0-2). Rebounds — Eastern New Mexico 29 (Williams 5), Texas-El Paso 57 (Turner 11). Assists — Eastern New Mexico 7 (Williams 3), Texas-El Paso 16 (Taylor 4). Total fouls — Eastern New Mexico 16, Texas-El Paso 16. Fouled out — Doherty. A — n/a.