PORTALES, N.M. – St. Edward's women's basketball surrendered a 9-0 run over the game's final four minutes to open the westward road trip with a 60-52 loss to the Eastern New Mexico University Greyhounds.
KIANA BENNETT led St. Edward's with 18 points, and J.P. added 11, but St. Edward's was outscored 36-18 in the paint and 31-17 in bench points.
Bennett was on fire in the first quarter, sparking a 9-0 Hilltopper run midway through. Bennett started the run with a layup off a feed from
MIKAH CHAPMAN, then stole the ball and hit a 3-pointer off a feed from
RAMSEY ROBLEDO. Then,
AINSLEY THUNELL hit J.P. for a layup, followed by a pull-up jumper from
BAILEY FEATHERSTONE for the 11-9 lead. Eastern New Mexico followed with a 6-0 run and took a 15-13 lead into the second quarter.
St. Edward's shot just 3-for-12 in the second quarter, getting eight of its 10 points from the bench to trail 28-23 at the break. Bennett scored nine first-half points, and Featherstone added eight. Nine Greyhounds scored for Eastern New Mexico, led by Nataya Lockett's five points.
The Hilltoppers defense opened the second half with intensity, swarming to an 11-0 run to start. Bennett scored five quick points, making a layup off a feed from Chapman and a 3-pointer assisted by J.P. to tie the game. Chapman blocked a shot, and J.P. recorded a steal, leading to a Chapmnan bucket for the lead. Robledo continued the scoring with free throws, then found Thunell for a short jumper.
St. Edward's took an eight-point lead with two minutes remaining in the third on a 3-pointer by
ISABEL LANGENBERG. However, Eastern New Mexico closed the quarter on a 7-0 run to pull within one at 42-41.
Bennett opened the fourth with a steal and layup, but St. Edward's struggled from the field the rest of the way, hitting 3-for-12 in the quarter with seven turnovers. Eastern New Mexico shot the same from the field and committed five turnovers but made up for it at the free-throw line, hitting 12-for-13 to close the game on a 9-0 run.
St. Edward's drops to 11-17 with a 7-12 conference record. The Hilltoppers will travel to Canyon, Texas, to face West Texas A&M.
