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Pioneers paste Zias

Freedom New Mexico

DENTON, Texas — Texas Woman’s held Eastern New Mexico University to one field goal over the first 16 1/2 minutes of the second half Thursday and the Pioneers pulled away to a 65-48 Lone Star Conference South Division women’s victory.

Freshman point guard Tiandrea Dixon scored 15 points and dished out six assists for the Pioneers (10-14, 5-6 South), who kept alive their slim hopes for one of four LSC postseason tournament berths from the South. They are two games behind Angelo State and Tarleton State, currently tied for third, with three games to play.

Guard Jessica Durr added 15 points for Texas Woman’s, while 6-foot-1 sophomore post Chelsea Cook came off the bench for 12 points and six rebounds.

As they did in Portales last month, the Zias (4-20, 1-10) held Pioneers post Renee Renz to eight points — 10 under her team-leading average — but they couldn’t contain Texas Woman’s outside game, which accounted for 11 3-pointers.

Renz did lead all rebounders in the contest with 13.

ENMU shot 7-for-14 from 3-point range, with freshman guard Lacey Acker scoring a personal-best 21 points on 7-of-9 from long distance. But the Zias connected on just 7-of-32 shots from inside the arc.

ENMU led 6-3 before Texas Woman’s scored eight consecutive points. The Zias came back to tie the game twice, but fell behind by 10 points before Acker knocked down a couple of 3s in the final minute to make it 31-27 at halftime.

The Zias went 1-for-15 with seven turnovers in the second half before Acker drilled the first of her three late-game treys with 3:12 left, making it 65-40.

ENMU went a perfect 13-of-13 from the line, but was outrebounded 45-33 and committed 19 turnovers to 10 for Texas Woman’s.

Lone Star Conference South

Texas Woman’s 65, ENMU 48

Eastern New Mexico (4-20, 1-10) — Megan Kabrick 1-7 0-0 2, Stephanie Bailey 0-3 0-0 0, Lacey Acker 7-9 0-0 21, Patricia Malouff 0-7 2-2 2, Tori Northcutt 2-7 8-8 12, Vanessa O’Neal 0-1 0-0 0, Blythe McPherson 0-2 0-0 0, Taylor Sauer 0-0 0-0 0, Kara Bible 4-7 1-1 9, Til-Lois Fifer 0-3 2-2 2. Totals 14-46 13-13 48.

Texas Woman’s (10-14, 5-6) — Savannah Thompson 0-5 0-1 0, Renee Renz 3-8 2-3 8, Jessica Durr 5-9 3-5 15, Tiandrea Dixon 6-12 0-0 15, Keisha Bolds 2-8 0-0 5, Chelsea Cook 5-9 0-0 12, Amanda Day 0-1 0-0 0, Brandi Crouch 3-14 0-0 9, Jordan Brooke 0-0 0-2 0, Jennifer Schilb 0-1 1-2 1. Totals 24-67 6-13 65.

Halftime — Texas Woman’s 31, Eastern New Mexico 27. 3-pointers — Eastern New Mexico 7-14 (Acker 7-9, McPherson 0-1, Kabrick 0-2, Northcutt 0-2), Texas Woman’s 11-31 (Dixon 3-7, Crouch 3-11, Cook 2-3, Durr 2-5, Bolds 1-4, Thompson 0-1). Rebounds — Eastern New Mexico 33 (Bible 6), Texas Woman’s 45 (Renz 13). Assists — Eastern New Mexico 10 (Northcutt 6), Texas Woman’s 19 (Dixon 6). Total fouls — Eastern New Mexico 17, Texas Woman’s 13. Fouled out — none. Technicals — Durr. A — 321.