Zias hold off Dustdevils

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After leading virtually all game, Eastern New Mexico University’s women were determined not to let this one get away.

Staff photo: Kevin Wilson

Zias guard Shayla Williams takes the ball for a layup over Texas A&M International defender Alexis Thomas in the first half of Friday night’s game at Rock Staubus Gymnasium. Williams had 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in Eastern New Mexico University’s 74-70 victory.

Junior guard Sarah Stinnett scored a season-best 19 points and junior post Brittany Gutierrez posted a double-double and helped spark an 11-1 second-half surge as the Zias held off Texas A&M International 74-70 at Clovis High’s Rock Staubus Gym on Friday.

Stinnett made four free throws and senior forward Tori Tucker, who added 13 points and eight rebounds, added a pair in the final 1:17 for the Zias (2-5), who led at halftime for the fifth time this season and outrebounded their fifth foe with a 47-30 domination of the Dustdevils (4-3).

Gutierrez finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, scoring seven points in a span of just over three minutes midway through the second half as the Zias turned a one-point deficit into a 55-46 lead.

“The coaches said this week was had the best week of practice we’ve had so far,” said Stinnett, a Fort Sumner graduate who transferred to ENMU this year from Howard College in Texas. “This was the funnest game so far. They kept coming at us, but we were able to (finish).”

Junior guard Shayla Williams added 10 points off the bench for ENMU, which shot a season-best 45 percent from the field and downed 18-of-24 free throws, compared with 10-of-19 for the Dustdevils.

“We took good shots and executed our offense,” ENMU coach Josh Prock said. “We’ve had leads in the second half, except for a couple of games,” he said. “It was a matter of just finishing the game, and our kids did a great job of that.”

Stinnett hopes the challenging early games will prove beneficial.

“We’ve scheduled some tough games,” she said. “Hopefully, in the long run it’ll pay off.”

Junior guard Jessica Prieto scored a career-best 30 points off the bench for the Dustdevils, who had three players in double figures.

The teams combined for five 3s in the first 5:09 of the contest. The Zias finished a tight half on a 7-0 run, capped by Williams’ 3-pointer, for a 35-32 lead.

They fell behind briefly 45-44 on two driving baskets by junior guard Keiona Mathews before the 6-foot-2 Gutierrez, averaging 4.3 points off the bench coming in, suddenly came alive. She put the Zias ahead with her second 3-pointer of the season and later adding an inside basket and four consecutive free throws.

“She played phenomenal,” Prock said. “She’s been working so hard and deserves this.”

International pulled to two points three times in the final five minutes, but couldn’t get over the hump.