Bryant Scores Career-High 28 Points, but Zias Lose to St. Edward's, 60-52
Hilltoppers Rally from 39-29 Deficit

Box Score

PORTALES, N.M. — Tiana Bryant (Sr., P, Roswell, NM/University of New Mexico) scored a career-high 28 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough for Eastern New
Mexico University in a 60-52 loss to St. Edward’s University, in a non-conference game, Saturday, Dec. 10 at Greyhound Arena. The Zias, from the Lone Star Conference, dropped to 6-2 on the season. The Hilltoppers, who compete in the Heartland Conference, improved to 3-4.

Bryant dominated the first half, finishing with 18 points on 8 for 12 shooting, including one three pointer. Eastern took an early eight-point lead at 10-2, before St. Edward’s went on a 16-0 run for an 18-10 lead with 9:51 to play in the half. The Zias quickly reacted with an 11-2 run to take a 21-20 lead on layup by Heather Brown (Jr., G, Hereford, TX/Hereford HS) with 5:25 left on the clock.

After five consecutive points by SEU’s Jennifer Knight, the Hilltoppers led by four with 3:52 remaining in the half. Brown converted two free throws and Bryant scored six consecutive points, as the Zias closed the half on an 8-0 run for a 29-25 lead.

ENMU started strong in the second half and took a 10-point lead, 35-25, on a layup by Brittney Gillespie (So., P, Aztec, NM/Aztec HS). A jumper by Bryant put Eastern up by 10 again, at 39-29 with 15:44 remaining.

St. Edward’s came out of a media time-out to go on a 20-2 run for a 49-41 lead with 6:38
left. Lindsey Wood’s (Fr., G, Muleshoe, TX/Muleshoe HS) three-pointer for the Zias less than half-a-minute later did not slow down St. Edward’s momentum. A 9-2 run by the Hilltoppers gave them their biggest lead, 58-46, at the 2:17 mark.

Brown provided a layup to get the Zias within six points, 58-52, with 20 seconds to play. Knight converted two free throws for the Hilltoppers with 11 seconds left to secure the win.

Eastern was outrebounded 45-38, but was especially hurt by St. Edward’s 18 offensive rebounds. The Zias committed 15 turnovers, nine in the second half, while the Hilltoppers turned the ball over only nine times during the game.

Knight, a forward, finished with a team-high 27 points for St. Edward’s. She connected on three 3-pointers and went 6 for 6 from the charity stripe. The Hilltoppers’ other starting forward, Tammy Bartosh, recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

Bryant’s double-double was her fifth this year and improved her season averages to 17.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Her four steals against SEU increased her team-leading total to 24. She is now averaging three steals per contest.

Brown was the only other Zia to record double digits in scoring, as she contributed 12 points on 5 for 10 shooting from the field. Brown and Bryant carried most of the scoring load, with the rest of the Zias producing only 12 points, while shooting just 16.6% from the field.

The Zias will not play at home again until Jan. 12, 2006, against East Central University.
During the winter break, Eastern will visit the University of Alaska-Anchorage for back-to-back games on Dec. 19 and 20. ENMU will finish the 2005 portion of the season by taking on rival West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas, on Friday, Dec. 30 at 5 p.m. MST.