STEPHENVILLE – Tarleton got a pair of big-time buckets from two of its seniors to force two overtimes with the top team in the LSC standings, but ultimately fell in an 81-76, double-overtime heartbreaker Thursday night.
 
Out of a timeout with Tarleton and Eastern New Mexico deadlocked at 55-55 with 2:27 to go in regulation, Ikpeaku Iwobi stepped up and knocked down a straight away 3-ball to put Tarleton on top once again at 58-55.
 
The Greyhounds responded with a mid-range jumper and a fast-break layup to retake the lead right back at 59-58 with 40 seconds left in regulation. A Tarleton 3-ball didn't go down and Eastern New Mexico came away with a jump ball possession on the rebound. Tarleton was forced to foul, sending the Greyhounds to the line for a pair that stretched the late Eastern New Mexico lead to 61-58 with 27 seconds left.
 
Tarleton got another 3-point look and came away with two offensive rebounds but ultimately the final shot attempt rolled out of bounds to give the possession back to the Greyhounds. The TexAnns sent Eastern back to the free throw line, but a pair of misses and a quick timeout gave Tarleton the chance to draw up one final play with 5 seconds left.
 
Bailey Wipff answered the call.
 
With time winding down, Mackenzie Hailey hit a running Wipff in the corner right in front of her friendly bench who found nothing but the bottom of the net with 0.4 seconds left to force overtime.
 
The teams each scored three over the opening 3:32 of the overtime period as Eastern New Mexico called a timeout with 1:28 left tied at 64-64. An offensive putback by the Greyhounds put Tarleton down two heading into the final minute.
 
After a TexAnn turnover and a miss by Eastern, Tarleton got a timeout and the possession with only a 0.33 difference between game and shot clock.
 
Another big moment and another senior stepped up for Tarleton – this time, Ikpeaku Iwobi hit a layup to tie the game and force Tarleton's first double overtime game since March 4, 2011.
 
Tarleton took a slim 70-68 lead, but a 9-1 Greyhound run that went into the final minute put Tarleton in a six-point deficit with 20 seconds left. Wipff hit her final three of the game to make things interesting but the Greyhounds hit their final two free throws of the night to bring the game to its final score.
 
The game opened up with back-to-back big runs as Tarleton dominated the opening half of the first quarter by jumping out to an 8-0 lead with four points each from Mackenzie Hailey and Bailey Wipff before Eastern New Mexico answered with a 14-5 run of its own to send the TexAnns into the second quarter trailing 14-13.
 
From there, the rest of the game was a see-saw affair as neither team led by more than one possession in the second quarter and Tarleton went into halftime leading 30-28.
 
Out of the break, Hailey scored the opening bucket of the new half before the Greyhounds went on a 13-4 run to build a five-point lead with 5:34 in the third quarter.
 
A Travanti Downes jumper ended the Greyhound run and started an identical 13-4 run for the TexAnns to send the game into the final frame with Tarleton up by four. Iwobi opened the fourth quarter with a bucket to push Tarleton's lead to six before Eastern New Mexico answered to tie the game at 55-55 with 2:27 remaining to force the quick timeout right before the final two minutes of action.
 
Tarleton boasted a pair of 20-point scorers as Wipff and Iwobi each eclipsed the mark while Mackenzie Hailey finished with 19 points. Iwobi also led the team with 13 rebounds. Downes scored eight points off the bench while Tiara Tatum (4), Trejouir Wilson (2), Baylee Peck (2), and Kylie Collins (1) rounded out the scoring.
 
The TexAnns will return to action Saturday afternoon when they host Western New Mexico at 2 p.m. in Wisdom Gym.