ENMU women start LSC play on right foot

PORTALES — Opening the college basketball season is a big deal. Opening the conference schedule, even bigger.

Those conference opponents are the company a team will keep for most of the winter. They’re the ones a team needs to beat if a conference title and postseason berth are in the offing.

So, starting well in the Lone Star Conference slate by beating Midwestern State 80-64 was huge for the Eastern New Mexico women’s basketball team Thursday night at Greyhound Arena.

The Greyhounds were already doing fine, carrying a 4-1 record and two-game winning streak into Thursday night’s game. But those numbers don’t quite compare to finally getting into Lone Star Conference play and notching that first LSC victory of the season.

The Greyhounds played Cameron Saturday, winning 85-65.

“It’s always a fun time of year,” Eastern head coach Josh Prock said. “The Lone Star is one of the more competitive conferences in the country, a top-five conference every year. So, (the win) was exciting for our girls, and I’m just really proud of their focus tonight.”

“We were all super excited. We all came out with energy, obviously, and we had a great start,” said sophomore post Alivia Lewis after leading the Greyhounds in minutes (27), rebounds (13) and blocks (3) Thursday night. “I think everyone was ready to start in conference, and we came out with a win.”

The Greyhounds hope Thursday’s LSC opener was a microcosm of the conference schedule as it unfolds, a portend of good things to come.

“It’s going to be really tough,” Lewis said. “I know Angelo from last year, WT obviously, those are going to be quite a challenge. But, with the way we played the first half tonight, I think we’re going to have a good shot.”

That first half was indeed where the Hounds put their stamp on Thursday’s game. From the time Eastern won the tip and the ball landed in Dasia Johnson’s hands, the Greyhounds seemed in control. They soon scored the game’s opening basket — an inside shot from Treyanna Clay — and though Midwestern tied it on a jumper by Hannah Reynolds, Eastern tore off eight straight points.

Clovis High graduate Shelby Jones began the 8-0 run with a short jumper. During Midwestern’s ensuing possession, the ball went out of bounds on Eastern’s side, leading to a Mustangs inbounds pass that Clay stole before driving coast-to-coast for an uncontested layup.

Back on the other end, Jones came up with a defensive rebound, starting an Greyhounds’ possession that ended with a short feathery jumper from Lewis. The 6-foot-2 Lewis kept Eastern’s next possession alive with an offensive board, and soon, Johnson finished it with a short shot that gave her team a 10-2 lead.

Midwestern closed to within 13-10 late in the first quarter, but a Chelsea Hunter layup and inside hoop from Lewis made it a seven-point difference by quarter’s end.

In the second quarter, Eastern blew the doors off. Kamirah Decker opened the period with a defensive rebound, starting a possession that she finished with an off-glass hoop. That began a 13-2 run, putting the Hounds up 30-15.

After Midwestern cut the margin to 30-17, Eastern went rolling again, scoring nine straight to build a 22-point lead. Midwestern ended that run with a basket that made it 39-19, but Jena Mehlbrech quickly answered with a trey that put Eastern up by 23.

A pair of Hunter free throws and a fast-break layup by Sydney Clark had Eastern ahead 46-19 by halftime. The Greyhounds had outscored Midwestern 29-9 in the second period.

ENMU cracked open a 30-plus-point advantage in the third quarter, leading 65-33 by the start of the fourth. Though Midwestern shaved the difference a bit in the final period, Eastern was never in serious jeopardy, and won by 16.

An impressive start to conference play for the Greyhounds, which they deserved, according to Prock.

“I think, first of all, our preparation has been really good,” Prock said. “The girls did a great job paying attention to the scouting report, paying attention to their roles. I keep bragging on these kids about their team chemistry; it’s second to none. They care about each other, they play for each other. It shows on the court.”

“We just have so much energy,” Lewis said, “and we have that really good chemistry, so I think that really helps us. And our defense is awesome, so I think that’s going to help us win a lot of games.”

Clay led all scorers with 15 points, followed by Portales High graduate Zamorye Cox with 14, Hunter and Mehlbrech with 12 each, and Lewis with 11.

Johnson had a game-high five assists and three steals. As a team, Eastern shot 83 percent (20-of-24) from the foul line.

It was a good all-around night for the Hounds. And they seem capable of a lot more good all-around nights as they plunge deeper into the winter.

“I hope so,” Prock said, “I hope so.”