ENMU Unable to Overcome Halftime Deficit in 67-47 Loss to Tarleton State
Brown Ties Season High with 23 Points

Box Score

PORTALES, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico University shot only 20.7% from the field in the first half on its way to a 67-47 loss to Tarleton State University, in a Lone Star Conference South Division game on Wednesday, Jan. 25, at Greyhound Arena. The Zias, who have connected on only 37% of their shots this season, dropped to 8-10 overall and remained winless through the first four games of the LSC South schedule. The TexAnns remained undefeated in the LSC South with a 5-0 record and improved their overall mark to 13-5.

Eastern struggled offensively in the first half, as the Zias faced Tarleton’s conference-best defense. ENMU managed to stay in the game through the first seven minutes of play, but Eastern was outscored 19-8 over the remainder of the half.

Heather Brown (Jr., G, Hereford, TX/Hereford HS) scored 10 of Eastern’s 16 first-half points. After Erika Cook (So, G, Portales, NM/Portales HS) scored the Zias’ first four points, Brown scored 10 in a row ENMU and Missy Kirkland (Jr., G, Arlington, TX/Hill College) scored the final bucket, as Eastern finished the half down 27-16.

Tarleton opened up the second half with a 10-2 run to attain its biggest lead of the game, 39-18, with 14:53 to play. Eastern’s only points during that stretch came on Tiana Bryant’s (Sr., Post, Roswell, NM/University of New Mexico) first basket of the game. Bryant, who entered the contest with double-digit scoring in 21 consecutive games, went 0 for 9 from the field in the first half.

The Zias prevented the TexAnns from continuing to pull away. Eastern even managed to cut the lead to 11 points with 5:27 remaining, on a layup by Rosalyn Elliott (So., G, Stanley, NM/Lubbock Christian University). With momentum on the Zias’ side, Bryant seemed to block a shot by Kimberly Smith with 4:36 left, but to the dismay of the crowd Bryant was whistled for a foul. Smith converted both free throws to extend the lead for TSU.

Brown finished the night with 23 points, equaling her season best, set against Texas A&M-Commerce on Dec. 8. She was one of two Zias to shoot better than 50%, as she sank 8 of 15 field goals, while scoring in double digits for the sixth consecutive game.

Cook was the other ENMU player to hit at least half of her shots (5 of 10). She scored 12 points to join Brown in double figures. Cook also grabbed five rebounds, as she tied Brittney Gillespie (So., Post, Aztec, NM/Aztec HS) for team rebounding honors.

Bryant, Eastern’s leading scorer this season, finished with eight points, all in the second half. She hauled down four rebounds, earned two steals and blocked a season-high four shots.

Three TexAnns finished in double digits in scoring, led by Katie Crawford with 14 points. Isha Brown provided solid inside play to finish with a double-double on 13 points and 12 rebounds. Smith was the third player in double-digits with 12 points.

Eastern will play the second game of a season-long five-game homestand on Saturday, Jan. 28 against Midwestern State University at 5 p.m. MST. The Zias will host Texas A&M University-Kingsville on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 5:30 p.m. MST, before closing out the homestand with games against Texas Woman’s University on Feb. 4 and West Texas A&M University on Feb. 6.