ENMU women go OT for win

Senior guard Vanessa Oduah scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Eastern New Mexico University's women forced three turnovers during an 8-0 run in overtime to outlast New Mexico Highlands 70-64 on Saturday in the South Central Region Challenge at Greyhound Arena.

Senior guard Jamila Nansikombi-Gunter added 18 points and senior guard/forward Deja Adrian had 12 for the Greyhounds (2-0), coming off a 21-point win over Fort Lewis in Friday's season opener. Four Cowgirls reached double digits, led by sophomore guard Juliana Aragon with 8-for-12 from the floor and 20 points.

In men's action, 15th-ranked Fort Lewis posted an 82-62 win over the Greyhounds. All four teams on the men's side finished 1-1 for the weekend as New Mexico Highlands stunned No. 19 Angelo State 68-65 in Saturday's early men's contest.

In the day's first women's game, Western New Mexico completed a 2-0 weekend by handing Fort Lewis a 69-60 setback.

Women – The Hounds sandwiched runs of 5-0 and 10-0 around a 7-0 spurt from Highlands (0-2) en route to an 18-11 lead at the quarter.

ENMU then forced six Cowgirls turnovers in putting together an 8-0 stretch to start the second stanza, and carried a 31-20 lead into the intermission.

Highlands cut the margin to four points when play resumed, but still trailed 52-44 entering the final canto. A basket by Adrian pushed the lead to 10 early in the fourth, but Aragon followed with four straight field goals to cut the difference to 54-52 with 6 ½ minutes remaining.

Highlands pulled even 60-60 on a 3-point play by Aragon with 1:10 to go, but neither team scored the rest of the way in regulation. In overtime, senior guard Delani Harris' layup gave Highlands its first lead since the early moments, but Nansikombi-Gunter scored three consecutive baskets before freshman guard Jaz Salon's layup made it 68-62 for ENMU with less than 30 seconds left.

It was Hounds' eighth win in the last nine meetings with Highlands, and gives ENMU a 42-9 lead over the Cowgirls in the all-time series.

The team's remaining four non-conference games are all in Colorado, beginning with matches against Adams State on Thursday at Alamosa and Western Colorado on Saturday at Gunnison. Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Hounds play at Colorado State-Pueblo on Nov. 24 and at Colorado-Colorado Springs the following day.

Men – The Greyhounds finished a back-and-forth first half in which neither side led by more than five points with a 34-33 lead, but the Skyhawks tallied 49 second-half points en route to a comfortable win. Four Fort Lewis players reached double figures, led by junior guard Obi Agbim with 18 points.

The Skyhawks, who lost 77-69 to Angelo State on Friday night, notched a 41-22 advantage in bench points, including 15 on 5-of-6 3-point shooting from junior guard Tristan Hurdle and 11 points and 15 rebounds from 6-foot-9 junior forward Brayden Carter.

Scoring was evenly distributed for the Hounds, who got 11 points from senior guard Greg Johnson and 10 each from senior guard/forward Jahcoree Ealy and junior forward Mario Whitley, the latter off the bench.

The Skyhawks connected on 12 3-point baskets for the game, nine coming in the second half. ENMU extended its halftime lead to five twice early in the stanza before Fort Lewis nailed five 3-pointers – three by Hurdle – in a 15-1 surge.

Another 7-0 burst opened a 63-47 advantage with less than 6 ½ minutes left, and the Hounds never got closer than 12 after that.

ENMU and Fort Lewis hook up again at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in the second day of the Skyhawk Classic at Durango, Colo. On Friday night, the Hounds match up against Adams State.