Zias Trail by 12 Points Late in First Half,
but Rally Past Nebraska-Kearney for 71-64 Win
ENMU will Conclude Al Kaly Shrine Classic vs. CSU-Pueblo

Box Score

PUEBLO, COLO. — For the second time in as many games to start the 2004-05 season, the Eastern New Mexico University Zias overcame a double-digit deficit to claim victory over a quality opponent, as ENMU rallied to defeat the University of Nebraska at Kearney, 71-64, on the first day of the Al Kaly Shrine Classic, Nov. 19, at Colorado State University-Pueblo.

The Zias trailed by 12 points, 38-26, with 1:56 left in the first half. UNK led, 40-34, at halftime. ENMU improved to 2-0 on the season, while Nebraska-Kearney dropped to 1-1 with the loss. The Zias opened the season on Monday, Nov. 15, with a 57-53 triumph over Fort Lewis College.

In that game, the Zias trailed 37-24 at halftime, before holding the Skyhawks to 21.1% shooting (4 of 19) in the second half. Fort Lewis and Nebraska-Kearney both qualified for the NCAA Division II Tournament last year.

The Al Kaly Shrine Classic is a pre-scheduled event. ENMU will take on CSU-Pueblo in the second round on Saturday, Nov. 20, at 5 p.m. MST. CSU-Pueblo lost to Northern Michigan University, 85-81 in overtime, in the other first round game. The Lopers from UNK will take on Northern Michigan on Saturday at 1 p.m. MST.

Nebraska-Kearney experienced a second-half fate similar to that of Fort Lewis four nights ago. The Lopers shot just 25.8% (8 of 31) over the final 20 minutes. Meanwhile, the Zias, who shot 52.2% (12 of 22) in the second half against Fort Lewis, connected for 56.0% (14 of 25) in the second half against the Lopers.

The Zias started slowly, as UNK scored the game’s first seven points and built leads of 14-4, 21-9 and 34-22. ENMU missed three shots and committed two turnovers before Laci Lee (Sr., G, Portales, NM/Portales HS) scored Eastern’s first points on a layup with 16:27 remaining in the first half.

ENMU trailed 45-41 with 14:51 left in the game, but scored the next four points on a layup by Riikka Lehtonen (Jr., Post, Turku, Finland/Kilgore College) at the 14:40 mark and a short jumper by Tia Doss (Jr., F, Albuquerque, NM/Highland HS) with 13:09 to go. Even so, UNK pulled in front with the next basket, and led by five points four times later in the game.

Eastern tied the game, 56-56, when Lehtonen put in another layup with 6:14 left. The Zias moved in front for good, 59-56, at the 4:55 mark, on a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Heather Brown (Hereford, TX/Hereford HS). Brown scored nine of her team-high 16 points in the final five minutes, as ENMU closed the game with a 15-8 run.

After scoring the go-ahead basket, Brown tacked on a jump shot with 3:55 remaining to increase the lead to 61-56. Kalee Modlin scored on a layup for the Lopers with 3:36 on the clock, but Brown returned the lead to five points with a layup of her own 14 seconds later.

Nebraska-Kearney cut the lead to three points two more times, but Lehtonen’s layup at the 2:11 mark, and a jumper by Mika Robertson (Sr., F, Levelland, TX/Midland College) with 1:12 remaining, pushed the lead back to five. Robertson’s hoop gave Eastern a 67-62 lead, which expanded to 69-62 when Brown sank two charity shots with 28 seconds left.

Tiana Bryant (Jr., Post, Roswell, NM/University of New Mexico) provided the Zias with their final points on a pair of free throws with 15 seconds to go. Liz Fischer hit a jumper for UNK in the closing seconds to end the scoring.

Brown earned her 16 points on 6 of 9 field goals (2 of 3 three-pointers) and 2 for 2 at the free throw line. She also contributed a game-high three steals, helping the Zias accrue 12 steals overall. Bryant supplied 15 points and was 6 of 12 from the field. Doss and Lee scored 10 points each, giving ENMU four players in double figures.

Robertson and Lehtonen chipped in six points apiece for the Zias. Robertson also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, including eight on the defensive end of the court. Doss added seven rebounds, but UNK managed to take a slim 34-33 rebounding edge.

Modlin, who led all players with 19 points, also topped the UNK rebounding chart with nine boards. Modlin was 7 of 13 from the floor and 5 of 6 at the line. No other player for the Lopers shot over 50.0% from the field, and the remaining four starters were a combined 11 of 33 (33.3%) for the game. As a result, Modlin was the only Loper in double figures, although Amber Whitlock contributed nine points, three players tallied seven points apiece and two players finished with six points each.

The Lopers gained an edge on three-pointers, as Nebraska-Kearney hit 5 of 14 and the Zias managed just 3 on 12 tries. ENMU overcame the difference by making six more two-point field goals (24 to 18) and by converting 14 of 17 free throws, while UNK hit 13 of 18 at the line. Eastern shot 50.0% overall from the floor (27 of 54). Nebraska-Kearney shot 39.7% (23 of 58).