Five Zias Score in Double Figures, as ENMU Defeats Montana State-Billings, 82-67
Richards Leads Zias with 19 Points, 12 Rebounds

Box Score

CANYON, TEXAS — Eastern New Mexico University placed five players in double figures and junior forward Elizabeth Richards (Texico, NM/Texico HS) recorded her second consecutive double-double, as the Zias defeated Montana State University-Billings, 82-67, in the first round of the SBC/Coca-Cola Thanksgiving Shootout on Friday, Nov. 25 at West Texas A&M University. In the other first round game, West Texas A&M routed Fort Lewis College, 90-59.

ENMU improved to 3-0 with the win over the Yellowjackets, while MSU-Billings fell to 1-2. The Thanksgiving Shootout will continue on Saturday, Nov. 26, with the pre-determined schedule matching ENMU against For Lewis at 1 p.m. MST. West Texas A&M will take on MSU-Billings at 5 p.m. MST.

Richards led the Zias with 19 points and 12 rebounds. She also contributed five assists, three steals and one blocked shot. It was Richards’ second outstanding performance in a row, as she scored a career-high 25 points to go with 11 rebounds, eight steals, four assists and two blocks in Eastern’s 87-52 victory over Western New Mexico University on Tuesday, Nov. 22.

In Friday’s game, the Zias rallied from an early 15-4 deficit, after Montana State-Billings opened the game by hitting five of its first six three-point shots. Three trifectas came from Shannon Harvey, with the first basket supplied by Tanya Peterson and the fifth score provided by Alira Carpenter at the 15:42 mark of the first half.

Eastern cut the margin to just three points, 15-12, with 14:07 left in the half. At that point, ENMU also had a significant portion of its scoring from three-point range, as Lindsey Wood (Fr., G, Muleshoe, TX/Muleshoe HS) chipped in two three-pointers and Erika Cook (So., G, Portales, NM/Portales HS) added one three-pointer.

The Zias tied the game at 18-18 on a fast-break layup by Riikka Lehtonen (Sr., Post, Turku, Finland/Kilgore College) at the 11:30 mark, but Eastern fell behind again, when the Yellowjackets went on a 10-0 run for a 28-18 advantage.

MSU-Billings held a 30-23 lead at the 7:30 mark, but didn’t score again until just 1:16 remained on the first-half clock. In between, ENMU went on a 14-0 run for a 37-30 lead. Five Zias scored during the run, led by Ashley Sutton (Jr., G, Italy, TX/Tyler JC), who hit two three-pointers.

Carpenter ended the ENMU run with a three-pointer, as the Yellowjackets closed the half by outscoring the Zias, 8-4. Eastern owned a 41-38 advantage at the break.

ENMU recorded the first nine points of the second half for a 12-point lead, 50-38, with 16:22 remaining. MSU-Billings went more than five minutes without scoring, before Peterson ended the drought by converting the second of two free throws with 14:46 left.

The Yellowjackets pulled within 60-56 with 9:11 to go, but the Zias tallied the next 13 points to put the game out of reach. Richards and Rochelle Vance (Jr., F, Duncanville, TX/Frank Phillips College) scored four point each during the run, and Cook added a three-pointer.

Richards led Eastern’s quintet of double-digit scorers. Tiana Bryant (Sr., Post, Roswell, NM/Univ. of New Mexico) and Vance followed with 14 points apiece, while Wood registered 11 points and Lehtonen added 10 points. Bryant also supplied seven rebounds, four steals and three blocks.

Wood played all 40 minutes in place of Heather Brown (Jr., G, Hereford, TX/Hereford HS), the Zias’ regular starter at point guard, who missed the game with a sprained ankle. In addition to providing double-digit scoring, Wood led all players with six assists and earned four steals.

The Zias shot 43.9% for the game (29 of 66), including 6 of 16 on three-pointers (37.5%). Eastern also hit 18 of 26 free throws (69.2%) and forced 23 turnovers, while achieving 13 steals.

MSU-Billings was held to 34.4% shooting from the floor (22 of 64). After converting 9 of 14 three-pointers in the first half (64.3%), the Yellowjackets made only 5 of 14 trifectas in the second half (35.7%). MSU-Billings matched Eastern on rebounds, as both teams hauled down 43 boards.

The leading scorer for MSU-Billings was Harvey, with 20 points and five rebounds. She was 7 of 13 from the field, including 6 of 11 on three-pointers. Peterson tacked on 17 points, to go with seven rebounds. Carpenter also reached double digits, with 12 points. Michelle Lieber led the Yellowjackets with nine rebounds, while Angela Lessard matched Peterson with seven rebounds.