- Box Score
STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton women's basketball team got out to their best 21-game start in program history with a 39-point win over Eastern New Mexico Saturday night in Stephenville.
With the stands full of purple and pink, the TexAnns used the packed house from Pink Zone night to gain home court advantage and take a 97-58 victory from the Zias.
The TexAnns exploded right out of the gate to jump out to a 17-0 lead, which helped them control the pace of the game.
Tarleton started their early run with a three pointer by Sonya Sundberg on the first possession of the game. That sparked a 17-point run that continued until the 13:42 mark when the Zias finally ended their drought with a pair of free throws. ENMU's first field goal didn't come until the 13:11 mark. By that time, the TexAnns already had a significant advantage.
Behind the post play of seniors Brittnie Haley and Kelsey Benford and the assistance of substitutes Tomika Lynce and Kiara Wright, the TexAnns used their formidable inside strength to score 11 straight points for Tarleton between the 14:23 mark and the 10:04 mark. This helped the TexAnns take a 23-9 lead over the Zias.
With an aggressive, fast-paced offense, Tarleton was able to continue to build on their lead, but it came at a cost, committing 15 turnovers in the first half.
Tarleton shot 55.2 percent as a team, and held Eastern New Mexico to just 18.8 percent from the field. The Zias got 10 of their 17 points from the charity stripe. The TexAnns also out-scored ENMU 26-4 in the paint and out-rebounded them 18-9.
Sonya Sundberg led Tarleton with nine points in the first half, to go along with three assists and three steals. Kelsey Benford added nine points and six boards, while Kiara Wright added eight points.
The Zias struggled in the first half, getting five points from Nikki Ingram to lead the way. No one else for ENMU scored above three points in the first 20 minutes. As a team, the Zias also committed 20 turnovers.
The second half began and ended with much of the same from Tarleton. The TexAnns were able to push their lead to 31 by the 14:29 mark thanks to clutch free throws and transition offense. Tarleton made it a mission to turn missed Zia shots into points.
The closest ENMU was able to get to Tarleton in the second half was 24 points at the 17:57 mark, while the TexAnns got their lead to as high as 45 at the 2:27 mark.
With the game easily in hand and the help of ENMU's 27 turnovers, Tarleton defeated the Zias 97-58. It was the highest point total for the TexAnns this season and the second biggest scoring margin, behind Tarleton's 45 point victory over East Central earlier this year.
Tarleton shot an astonishing 70 percent from the floor in the second half, en route to their highest percentage of the season, 61.2 percent. The performance is their best shooting night since Nov. 24, 2009 when the TexAnns shot .1 percentage point higher against Concordia.
All 14 TexAnns scored for Tarleton, and six different players scored in double-digits. The TexAnns were led by Kelsey Benford, who went 8-for-8 from the floor, scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Benford also added three steals. Sundberg followed up with a season-high 13 points, five assists and three steals. Also with a career night was Tomika Lynce, who contributed career highs with 10 points and seven rebounds off the bench.
Also scoring in double figures was Brittnie Haley, with 11 points, Brianna Bledsoe, 10 points, and Kiara Wright, 10 points.
The TexAnns have now out-scored Lone Star Conference opponents by a margin of +21.4 points in nine games this season.
No. 21 Tarleton (No. 2 in South Central Region) will return to action Wednesday, Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. when the TexAnns will host West Texas A&M. Tarleton defeated the Lady Buffs by 21-points earlier this season in Canyon.
