Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Freedom New Mexico
ALBUQUERQUE — Eastern New Mexico University’s women stayed with New Mexico for the better part of the first half Monday night, but a 16-0 run over a span of less than 3 1/2 minutes sent the Lobos on their way to a 100-52 victory in a women’s exhibition basketball game.
Sophomore Lauren Taylor scored 20 points for the Lobos and keyed the run with 11 points, including a trio of 3-pointers.
Taylor finished 7-for-7 from the field, including four 3-pointers, and 2-for-2 from the free throw line to lead five Lobos in double figures. Guard Amy Beggin added 13 points, forward Ananda Best and reserve Jordan Unverzagt added 12 each and guard Sara Halasz added 10.
All 12 New Mexico players who saw action scored in the contest.
For the Zias, junior forward Cat Clay was the only player to reach double figures, finishing with 15 points. The Zias shot 12-of-30 from 3-point distance but only half that well — 6-of-30 — from inside the arc.
ENMU took its only lead when Kassie Daugherty’s layup provided the game’s fist points in the openintg minute. The Lobos threatened to open it up a couple of times, but the Zias used two 3-pointers by Clay and two more by sophomore guard Lace Clark — the latter back-to-back and pulling the Zias to 24-20 with 7 1.2 minutes left in the half.
The teams then exchanged turnovers before Taylor drained a 3-plointer at the seven-minute mark. She hit another on the next trip downcourt and the Lobos were off and running.
Celeste Belizario’s basket finally ended the dry spell with 2:15 left in the half, making it 44-22. The Lobos carried a 44-25 margin into halftime.
Clay hit another 3-pointer with 18:21 left in the game for the first points of the second half, but the Lobos mounted a 13-0 run at that point that included 3-pointers by Beggin and Taylor and a 3-point play by forward Jessica Kielpinski for a 57-28 lead with 15:34 to go.
The margin continued to grow steadily the rest of the way. Halasz hit a pair of free throws with nine seconds left for to mark the biggest lead of the night and put UNM at the century plateau.
The Lobos shot 48 percent from the field, including 7-of-16 from the free throw line, and also converted 29-of-34 charity shots to 4-of-13 for the Zias.
ENMU opens its regular season on Monday against New Mexico Highlands in a 6 p.m. tipoff at Greyhound Arena.