Athletic Report
February 1, 1999

MEN’S BASKETBALL
(8-10, 1-5 LSC South)
The ENMU Greyhounds ended a four-game losing streak with a 79-72 win over visiting Oklahoma Panhandle State, Jan. 27 at Greyhound Arena. The Hounds improved to 8-10 with the victory. OPSU dropped to 1-16.

Senior forward Deron Rippey (Brooklyn, NY/East Carolina U.), who scored 29 points against OPSU, is Eastern’s top scorer with 17.0 points per game. Junior guard Matt Vail (Grants, NM/Grants H.S.) is second, with 13.8 points per game.

RIPPEY LEADS RALLY PAST PANHANDLE
ENMU senior forward Deron Rippey (Brooklyn, NY/East Carolina) scored 29 points, provided 10 assists, and grabbed 8 rebounds, leading the Greyhounds to a come-from-behind 79-72 victory over Oklahoma Panhandle State, Jan. 27. The Greyhounds, who ended a 4-game losing streak, rallied from a 39-31 halftime deficit and battled back from a 47-39 deficit with 15:55 left.

Rippey scored 18 points, recorded 7 assists and hauled down 5 rebounds in the final 20 minutes. He assisted on a 3-pointer by junior James Franklin (G, Houston, TX/Trinidad State J.C.) with 8:59 remaining that gave ENMU its first lead of the second half at 56-54. Rippey also converted several baskets after being fouled, and finished 11 of 21 on field goals and 7 of 12 at the line.

Eastern New Mexico senior center Craig Ferris (Ethete, WY/Casper College) put the Greyhounds in front for good with a layup at the 6:48 mark, as ENMU took a 59-58 lead. The Hounds increased their advantage to 11 points, 71-60, with 3:39 remaining, but OPSU was within 5 points, 73-68, with 1:22 left.

Eastern sank 6 of 8 free throws the rest of the way to secure the win. Rippey’s 29 points upped his season scoring average to 17.0 points per game. He has scored at least 19 points in seven consecutive games. Franklin and junior guard Mat Vail (Grants, NM/Grants H.S.) each scored 12 points. Senior center Byrone Williams (Chicago, IL/Alaska- Anchorage) scored 8 points and had 6 rebounds.

Ferris scored 8 points to go with 5 rebounds. After allowing OPSU to shoot 59.1% in the 1st half (13 of 22), Eastern limited the Aggies to 41.9% in the 2nd half (13 of 31). OPSU was led by senior Donald Garrett, who topped all players with 37 points on 13 of 23 from the field and 11 of 13 free throws. He entered the game averaging 28.3 points per game. Trent Ritter added 12 points for the Aggies.

GAMES AT WEST TEXAS POSTPONED BY SNOW
Eastern’s Lone Star Confeence men’s and women’s basketball games at West Texas A&M, originally scheduled for Sat., Jan. 30, was postoponed until Mon., Feb. 1 due to the potential for ice covered road following about a foot of snow in the Amarillo/Canyon area. The games are still set for 5:00 p.m. MST (women’s) and 7:00 p.m. MST (men’s).

RIPPEY CHOSEN LSC PLAYER-OF-WEEK
Senior forward Deron Rippey was chosen Lone Star Conference South Division Player-of-the-Week for his efforts against Oklahoma Panhandle State on Jan. 27. Rippey led the Hounds’ comeback from an 8-point halftime deficit, finishing the contest with 29 points, 10 assists. 8 rebounds and 4 steals. He scored 18 points, grabbed 5 rebounds and provided 7 assists during the second half rally.

UP NEXT FOR THE GREYHOUNDS
The Greyhounds will travel to West Texas A&M tonight (Mon., Feb. 1), to make up Saturday’s game that was postponed due to the weather. Gaem time is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. MST. Eastern then returns home for games against Texas A&M- Commerce, at 7:30 p.m. on Thur., Feb. 4, and against TAMU-Kingsville, at 7:30 p.m., on Sat. Feb. 6. The Hounds play West Texas again on Mon., Feb. 8. Game time at Greyhound Arena is 7:30 p.m. (MST).

ZIA BASKETBALL
(13-5, 6-2 LSC South)
Sophomore post/forward Katheryne Hickman (San Antonio, TX/Castle Hills First Bapt. H.S.) scored a career high 22 points and added a career high 11 rebounds, leading the Eastern New Mexico University Zias to a 76-44 rout of visiting Oklahoma Panhandle State at Greyhound Arena. The non-conference win improved ENMU to 13-5 on the season. OPSU fell to 3-13 and lost for the 9th consecutive game.

Hickman, whose previous high for scoring was 17 points against Tarleton State just two weeks ago (Jan. 14), led four Eastern players in double figures. She entered the game shooting 51.6% on field goals, and continued her solid shooting with 11 of 18 from the floor against OPSU. Her 22-point effort increased her season average to 10.5 points per game.

Other double-digit scorers for the Zias were junior post player Amanda Mendez (San Antonio, TX/Madison H.S.), with 16 points, junior post Jenny Conaway (Midland, TX/South Plains College), with 10 points, and sophomore post Bobbie Wallin (Moriarty, NM/Moriarty H.S.), also with 10 points. Conaway hauled down 12 rebounds and Wallin added 11 boards, as the Zias achieved a commanding 57-31 rebounding margin. OPSU stayed close early.

The Lady Aggies trailed 14-9 midway through the first half, and earned a 14-14 tie at the 8:56 mark. ENMU closed the half with a 20-4 run for a 34-18 lead at the break. Eastern outscored OPSU 13-8 at the start of the second half to build a 21-point lead at 47-26.

Panhandle State was led by junior Elsa Baltazar, with 23 points and six rebounds. She was 5 of 8 on 3-point shots, and finished the game 8 of 16 overall. Holly Forrester scored 8 points for the Lady Aggies.

UP NEXT FOR THE ZIAS
ENMU travels to West Texas A&M tonight (Mon., Feb. 1), to make up Saturday’s game postponed due to the weather. Gaem time in Canyon, Texas is set for 7:00 p.m. MST. Eastern returns home for games against Texas A&M-Commerce, at 5:30 p.m. on Thur., Feb. 4, and against TAMU-Kingsville, at 5:30 p.m., on Sat. Feb. 6. The Zias will play 5 of their final 7 regular season games at home, where they are 5-1 this year.

ZIA TENNIS
(4-0 Overall, Ranked #21)
The Zias swept a pair of matches in Phoenix, Arizona over the weekend. On Fri., Jan. 29, the Zias defeated Western New Mexico, 6-3. On Sat., Jan. 30, ENMU downed 24th-ranked Grand Canyon University, 7-2. Eastern, ranked #21 in NCAA Division II, upped its overall record to 4-0.

ZIAS DEFEAT WESTERN NEW MEXICO
The Eastern New Mexico women’s tennis team, ranked #21 in NCAA Division II at the end of the fall season, opened its spring schedule Fri., Jan. 29 with a 6-3 victory over Western New Mexico, in a match played at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz. The Zias improved to 3-0 for the year (2-0 in the fall), while Western fell to 2-2.

Eastern’s #1 singles player, freshman Layla Turner (Casa Grande, AZ/Union H.S.) led the way with a successful return to her home State. She defeated WNMU’s Melanie Martinez without losing a game, 6-0, 6-0.

Turner teamed with junior Julie Stiles (Roswell, NM/Goddard H.S.) for another easy victory at #1 doubles, as they defeated Roberta Sanchez and Rachelle Davis, 8-1. Turner is ranked #53 in NCAA Division II in singles. Turner and Stiles are ranked #9 in the Midwest Region in doubles. Stiles won #2 singles for ENMU in straight sets over Sanchez, 6-1, 6-2.

Other ENMU winners in singles action were MaKenzie McCravey (Fr., El Dorado, TX/El Dorado H.S.) at #4 singles and Sarah Pennington (Fr., Sweetwater, TX/Sweetwater H.S.) at #5 singles. The Mustangs won #3 singles and #6 singles.

Davis outlasted Eastern’s Dena Boans (Sr., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.) at #6 singles, winning the only 3-set match of the day, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. In doubles, the Zias not only received an 8-1 win from Turner and Stiles, but also benefited from an 8-0 rout by McCravey and Rozlyn Gorski (Sr., El Paso, TX/Coronado H.S.) at #2 doubles.

Western won #3 doubles, as Rosie Gomez and Katherine Heck defeated Pennington and Boans, 8-5.

ZIAS DOWN GRAND CANYON, 7-2
The ENMU Zias, ranked 21st in NCAA Division II, defeated 24th-ranked Grand Canyon, 7-2, on Sat., Jan. 30 on the GCU campus.Eastern remained undefeated at 4-0, while Grand Canyon dropped to 1-1.

The Zias avenged a 5-4 loss last season by winning four singles flights and taking all three doubles matches.

Only two singles matches went three sets, with Eastern’s MaKenzie McCravey (Fr., El Dorado, TX/El Dorado H.S.) outlasting Claudia Meza, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, at #4 singles, and Christine Liwanpo of GCU taking a 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 decision over Rozlyn Gorski (Sr., El Paso, TX/ Coronado H.S.) at #3 singles.

In a match-up of nationally ranked players, Kira Leubner of Grand Canyon, ranked #28, earned a 2-6, 6-0, 6-4 win over 53rd-ranked Layla Turner (Fr., Casa Grande, AZ/Union H.S.) of Eastern. The Zias received an impressive win from junior Julie Stiles (Roswell, NM/Goddard H.S.), who defeated Lexi Monroe 6-2, 6-2 at #2 singles.

Turner and Stiles led the Zias in doubles, winning 8-0 over Monroe and Liwanpo. Sarah Pennington (Fr., Sweetwater, TX/Sweetwater H.S.) and Dena Boans (Sr., Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad H.S.) won #3 doubles, 8-3, over Heather Lemke and Donna Flynn.

Eastern’s sweep of doubles was complete when Gorski and McCravey edged Leubner and Meza 9-8 in a tie-breaker at #2 doubles.

UP NEXT FOR THE ZIAS
The Zias play their home opener on Fri., Feb. 5 against 11th-ranked Abilene Christian. Match time at the Zia Tennis Center is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. (MST).

GREYHOUND BASEBALL
BASEBALL OPENS SEASON FEBRUARY 5
VS. OKLA. CHRISTIAN
The ENMU baseball team, under the guidance of 8th-year Head Coach Phil Clabaugh, opens the 1999 season on Fri., Feb. 5. The Hounds will host Oklahoma Christian University in a pair of 7-inning games opening day at 1:00 p.m. (MST). ENMU and OCU will play two more 7-inning contests on Sat., Feb. 6 at 1:00 p.m. (MST).

ENMU alumnus and long-time friend of Eastern athletics Gary Robbins will throw out the first pitch at Friday’s double-header. Last year, ENMU finished the season with a 22-33 overall record.

ZIA SOFTBALL
SOFTBALL BEGINS SEASON AT UNM
The Eastern softball team, led by first-year Head Coach Kathleen Rodriguez, opens the 1999 season on Fri., Feb. 5 at the Diamond Invitational at the University of New Mexico.

ENMU plays two games against UNM at 1:00 p.m. (MST) on Friday and plays a pair of games against Western New Mexico on Saturday, Feb. 6. at 9:00 a.m. (MST).

Eastern’s home opener at the new Zia Softball Field is on Sat., Feb. 20 at 12:00 p.m. against Okla. Panhandle State. Last year, in its second season of competition, the ENMU softball team earned an overall record of 24-28-1, including 8-8 in the LSC South Division.