Lehtonen Records Career High, as Zias Remain Undefeated
ENMU Improves to 4-0 with 71-50 Win over Fort Lewis

Box Score

PORTALES, N.M. — For the second time this season, Riikka Lehtonen (Sr., P, Turku, Finland/Kilgore College) recorded a career high in scoring, as she provided 18 points in a 71-50 Eastern New Mexico University win over Fort Lewis College, on Saturday, Nov. 26, in Canyon, Texas. The Zias defeated the Skyhawks on the final day of the West Texas A&M University SBC/ Coca-Cola Thanksgiving Shootout. Eastern remained undefeated, improving to 4-0. The Skyhawks’ overall record dropped to 1-3.

ENMU and West Texas A&M University each went 2-0 in the tournament. Fort Lewis and
Montana State University-Billings were both 0-2.

Tiana Bryant (Sr., P, Roswell, NM/Univ. of New Mexico) and Elizabeth Richards (Jr., F, Texico, NM/Texico HS), who have been the team leaders for the Zias this season, each recorded a double-double during the game. Bryant finished with 12 points, and dominated the boards with 16 rebounds, as she recorded her third double-double in four games. For the third consecutive game, Richards recorded a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 12 boards.

Eastern pulled away early in the game, reacting to a two-point deficit with a 17-0 run to take a 24-9 lead on two free throws by Rosalyn Elliott (So., G, Stanley, NM/Lubbock Christian University) with 9:33 left in the half. The Skyhawks answered with a 24-12 run to go into the intermission trailing the Zias by only five points at 36-31. Bryant led all players with eight points and six boards in the opening half.

Junior forward Rochelle Vance (Duncanville, TX/Frank Phillips College) converted a layup 11 seconds into the second half, to increase Eastern’s lead to 38-31. Vance injured her knee just over a minute later and did not return to action. Even so, she scored seven points and earned eight rebounds in 12 minutes of playing time. She recorded three points and grab three boards in the second half, while playing just 1:24.

Fort Lewis caught up to Eastern at 43-43, on a layup by Lauren Redfern at the 12:47 mark. Zia Head Coach Dan Buzard immediately called a time-out to settle the team. Lehtonen, who played only 10 minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, grabbed a Bryant miss and connected on a jumper to put the Zias up for good at 45-43 with 12:21 left. Lehtonen scored 14 points and grabbed all four of her rebounds in the second half.

Eastern went on a 20-3 run after the tie, to take a commanding 17-point lead with 4:00 left on the clock. The Zias outscored the Skyhawks by 16 points, 35-19, in the second half.

Amie Moulton was the only Skyhawk to finish with double-digit scoring, as she achieved 11 points. Stephanie Kosters led Fort Lewis with 10 rebounds.

The Skyhawks had problems finding the basket in the second half, shooting an icy 21.9% from the field. Fort Lewis hit seven 3-pointer on 29 attempts for just 24.1% from outside the arc. The Skyhawks converted 7 of 12 free throws (58.3%).

Eastern recorded 11 steals in the game, enroute to forcing Fort Lewis into 21 turnovers. The Zias dominated the backboards with a 51-39 edge during the contest.

Lehtonen, who recorded her previous career high in the first game of the season, connected on 5 of 8 shots and hit 8 of 11 free throws. Lehtonen is leading the Zias with a 66.7% completion rate from the field and is shooting 73.7% from the charity stripe.

Bryant and Richards were selected to the All-Tournament Team and are both averaging 15.8 points per game this season. Richards has scored 659 points in her career and is currently tied for 24th with Nancy Pavlak (1979-1983) on Eastern’s all-time scoring list. Bryant, whose 16 boards were a career-high, is leading the Zias with 11.5 rebounds per game.

ENMU will be on the road for the next two games. Eastern will visit Southwestern Oklahoma State University on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 5 p.m. MST, and will be at Cameron University on Saturday, Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. MST.

The Zias will return to Greyhound Arena for a two-game homestand beginning on Thursday, Dec. 8 at 5:30 p.m. MST against Texas A&M University-Commerce. ENMU will host St. Edward’s University on Saturday, Dec. 10 at 5 p.m. MST.

The Southwestern Oklahoma, Cameron and TAMU-Commerce games are LSC crossover contests. Crossover games do not count in the LSC divisional standings.