ENMU women lock up berth in LSC tourney

LUBBOCK — Despite a four-game losing streak, Eastern New Mexico University’s women locked up a spot in next week’s Lone Star Conference postseason tournament on Thursday without playing.

The question going into Saturday’s LSC and regular-season finale against Western New Mexico at Greyhound Arena was whether the Greyhounds would be the 11th or 12th seed in the 12-team event.

ENMU (9-13, 5-10 LSC) dropped a 73-46 decision to 16th-ranked and two-time NCAA Division II champion Lubbock Christian on Tuesday night, leaving the Hounds in a virtual tie with Arkansas-Fort Smith. But the Lions (7-16, 4-9) lost at Midwestern State 72-59 on Thursday while Texas-Permian Basin, sitting 13th, was elimianted with an 81-53 loss to Texas-Tyler.

Thus, the Hounds would earn the No. 11 spot either by winning against Western or seeing Fort Smith lose its finale on Saturday at co-leading Texas Woman’s.

Texas-Permian Basin (8-18, 4-10) was still in contention before Thursday, but the Falcons were eliminated with a xx-xx home setback to Texas-Tyler.

Whoever the Hounds draw in the tourney — a road game on Tuesday against either the fifth or sixth seed — won’t be easy. The top eight teams in the league were bunched within 1 1/2 games heading into Thursday’s play, with TWU, West Texas A&M and Angelo State tied for the lead at 11-3.

ENMU lost for the second time in six days to LCU (23-5, 11-4), this one counting in league standings. Senior guard Iyanna McCurdy scored 14 points for the Hounds, keeping them in some contention with eight consecutive tallies late in the opening stanza, but no one else had more than six points.

Meantime, senior guard Ashton Duncan led the way for LCU with 15 points and three of the team’s nine 3-pointers, while senior guard Juliana Robertson added 14. The Lady Chaps’ starters played only 110 of a possible 200 minutes, and their reserves finished with 28 points.

Despite its record, LCU entered the weekend still fifth in the league and fighting for a first-round bye in next week’s tourney.

Lubbock Christian 84, ENMU men 53 — The Greyhounds, who played LCU fairly well last week at home, were tied 3-3 early when the Chaparrals (24-2, 11-2) went on a 15-0 run to take firm control and clinch the LSC’s regular-season title.

Sophomore guard Adam Hess hit a pair of 3-pointers and senior guard Garrick Sherrod had one to keep the Hounds (6-17, 2-11) within 10, but another 17-3 surge helped the Chaps reach halftime with a 50-26 bulge. ENMU, which dropped its 11th game in a row, got no closer than 22 points the rest of the way.

All five starters netted at least nine points for Lubbock Christian, led by senior Lloyd Daniels with five 3-pointers and 22 points. Senior forward Parker Hicks finished with 16 points and team highs of 11 rebounds and five assists for the Chaps, who shot 54 percent from the floor and made 13-of-27 3-point attempts.

No one reached double digits for the Hounds, who were led by nine points apiece from Hess and junior guard JaQuan Morris and eight from senior forward Yosnier Cobas.