Box Score
PORTALES, N.M. – Brittnie Haley scored 18 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and recorded a career-high six blocks on Wednesday, guiding the No. 24 Tarleton TexAnns to a 64-50 win over Eastern New Mexico at Greyhound Arena.
The TexAnns improved to 19-4 overall and 6-2 in the Lone Star Conference South Division. Head coach Ronnie Hearne now needs just one more victory on the season to give him a 20-win season, which would be his first under the helm of the TexAnn program. Hearne guided the 2005-06 team to 19 wins as well.
The Zias have now dropped four straight games, falling to 6-17 overall and 1-7 in LSC South Division play.
Sonya Sundberg gave the TexAnns a 2-0 lead with a layup at the 19:12 mark in the first-half and Tarleton never looked back, not allowing the Zias to take a lead the entire game.
ENMU came within three points of the TexAnns with 8:25 remaining in the first period, but a 10-0 over the next four-plus minutes put the TexAnns up by 13 points, 29-16. Tarleton took its biggest lead of the game with 1:17 before the half and then went into the locker room with a 36-20 lead.
The Zias cut the deficit to just an eight-point lead (45-37) for the TexAnns with 14:04 remaining in the game, but that would be as close as ENMU would get as Tarleton cruised to the 14-point win.
Haley led all players with her 18 points and 11 rebounds as she recorded her first double-double since Jan. 11. JoAnne Jones (15) and Shelby Adamson (10) each chipped in double-digit efforts as well for the TexAnns. Tara Towns led the TexAnns off the bench with five points.
Tarleton shot just .351 from the field on Wednesday and forced just 11 Zia turnovers, but ENMU could not turn its offensive possessions into points. The Zias shot just .303 percent from the field and went just 6-of-17 (.353) from the free throw line.
Each team had 15 points off turnovers and five second-chance points, but it was Tarleton doing most of its damage via the fast break, scoring 15 points in transition compared with the Zias' four points.
Tarleton held ENMU's Cat Clay to just 12 points on the night and under her 14+ average for the second time this season. Her 12 points led the team as Vanessa O'Neal followed with 10 points.
Tarleton returns home this Saturday to face No. 8 West Texas A&M in a highly anticipated rematch after falling to the Lady Buffs, 74-69, back on Jan. 23 in Canyon. Tip-off on Saturday is set for 5 p.m. inside Wisdom Gym.
