ENMU basketball splits final games

Freedom New Mexico

It’s been a long season and a tough learning process for the freshman-dominated Eastern New Mexico University women’s squad.

Still, the Zias were able to close out their campaign in style Saturday night, getting a career-high 22 points from sophomore forward Megan Kabrick in rolling to a 75-56 Lone Star Conference South Division victory over Midwestern State at Greyhound Arena.

ENMU (5-22, 2-12 South) scored the game’s first eight points, rolled to a 16-2 lead after less than seven minutes and never looked back.

Freshman forward Til-Lois Fifer added 15 points and 10 rebounds, while freshman guard Patricia Malouff contributed 14 points, nine rebounds, five assists and five steals.

For the Mustangs (9-18, 3-11), who dropped their eighth in a row, Tiffany Cook scored 17 points off the bench while Kaylong Hodge added 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The Zias held Midwestern to 29 percent shooting from the field (18-of-62) and forced the Mustangs into 21 turnovers.

Baskets by Kara Bible, Kabrick and Malouff and two free throws by Malouff staked the zias to their early 8-0 lead. After two free throws by Cook put Midwestern on the board, Kabrick and freshman guard Lacey Acker hit 3-pointers around a basket by Fifer.

Midwestern pulled to 31-27 with an 8-0 run late in the half, but the Zias finished out on an 11-3 spurt for a 12-point lead at the break.

The margin was never under double figures the rest of the way, and ENMU led by 22 points (71-49) after a basket by Malouff with 4:38 remaining.

Hounds fall in final game

Guard Nolan Richardson IV scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds and handed out nine assists Saturay night to lead Midwestern State to a 75-56 Lone Star Conference South Division men’s basketball victory over Eastern New Mexico University at Greyhound Arena.

The Mustangs (13-13, 5-7 South) dominated the first half and cruised from there. With the win, they avoided their first losing season in 10 years and relegated the Greyhounds (6-21, 0-12) to their first winless season in division play since 2000.

Guard Jeremy Ford added four 3-pointers and 14 points while guard Chris Davis scored 10 for Midwestern State.

Senior guard Justin Redman-Trotter led the depleted Hounds wiith 30 points while junior guard Marquis Ruffin added 19, accounting for all but eight of ENMU’s total.

The Hounds built and early 5-2 lead on a 3-pointer by Ruffin with 16:06 left in the opening half, but Midwestern quickly took control. Ford hit a 3-pointer to tie it and two free throws by Earl Rabb with 15:13 to go gave the Mustangs the lead for good.

Richardson’s 3-pointer touched off a 7-0 run, also including baskets by Richardson and Davis, to put the Mustangs in front 24-10 midway through the half. ENMU got back within 10, but went scoreless in the final three minutes as the Mustangs carried a 33-21 lead into the break.

The Hounds stayed within the 8-12 point range for much of the second half, getting within seven three times. The Mustangs scored the game’s final seven points in the last 1:30 for their biggest margin of the second half.

Men

Lone Star Conference

Midwestern State 73, ENMU 57

Midwestern State (13-13, 5-7) — Trajinski Grigsby 3-6 2-2 9, Christopher Reay 1-2 2-2 4, Jeremy Ford 5-13 0-0 14, Chris Davis 5-15 0-0 10, Nolan Richardson IV 5-9 5-7 17, Michael Godwin 4-5 1-1 9, Earl Rabb 2-2 4-4 8, Jordan Coffman 0-0 0-0 0, Charlie Logan 0-1 0-0 0, Marcus Anderson 0-1 0-0 0, Kevin Brandsma 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 26-55 14-16 73.

Eastern New Mexico (6-21, 0-12) — Matt Churchman 1-2 0-0 2, Randall Hutchinson 0-3 0-0 0, Ean Forrest 1-4 0-0 2, Justin Redman-Trotter 8-22 11-15 30, Marquis Ruffin 6-21 6-8 19, Adam Matthews 0-1 0-0 0, Jamaal Hadley 0-0 0-0 0, James Duggan 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 18-57 17-23 57.

Halftime — Midwestern State 33, Eastern New Mexico 21. 3-pointers — Midwestern State (Ford 4-11, Richardson IV 2-5, Grigsby 1-2, Davis 0-4), Eastern New Mexico 4-12 (Redman-Trotter 3-10, Ruffin 1-1, Forrest 0-1). Rebounds — Midwestern State 38 (Grigsby 9), Eastern New Mexico 33 (Ruffin 9). Assists — Midwestern State 15 (Richardson IV 9), Eastern New Mexico 4 (Ruffin 2). Total fouls — Midwestern State 16, Eastern New Mexico 14. Fouled out — Ruffin. A — 375.

Women

Lone Star Conference South

ENMU 75, Midwestern State 56

Midwestern State (9-18, 3-11) — Rosy Ofoegbu 3-10 2-3 8, Andrea Buben 1-4 0-0 2, Brittni Morrison 1-9 0-0 3, Kaylon Hodge 3-9 7-9 13, Stacey Staten 2-14 4-4 8, Trittny Smith 2-2 1-4 5, Tiffany Cook 6-14 5-7 17. Totals 18-62 19-27 56.

Eastern New Mexico (5-22, 2-12) — Megan Kabrick 8-13 0-0 22, Stephanie Bailey 0-2 0-0 0, Kara Bible 2-8 0-0 4, Patricia Malouff 3-11 8-9 14, Tori Northcutt 2-9 0-0 5, Vanessa O’Neal 0-1 0-0 0, Blythe McPherson 1-3 0-0 2, Taylor Sauer 2-3 1-2 5, Lacey Acker 3-8 0-0 8, Til-Lois Fifer 5-13 5-6 15. Totals 26-71 14-17 75.

Halftime — Eastern New Mexico 40, Midwestern State 32. 3-pointers — Midwestern State 1-10 (Morrison 1-6, Buben 0-2, Staten 0-2), Eastern New Mexico 9-22 (Kabrick 6-9, Acker 2-5, Northcutt 1-2, McPherson 0-1, Malouff 0-5). Rebounds — Midwestern State 46 (Hodge 11), Eastern New Mexico 51 (Fifer 10). Assists — Midwestern State 5 (Ofoegbu 2), Eastern New Mexico 17 (Malouff 5). Total fouls — Midwestern State 19, Eastern New Mexico 23. Fouled out — Morrison, Hodge. A — 405.