PORTALES, New Mexico – The No. 19 Angelo State women's basketball team outscored Eastern New Mexico 24-12 in the third quarter on its way to an 89-82 road victory in Portales on Thursday night.
The Belles (21-4, 15-4 LSC) hit 42.9 percent from the field while holding the Greyhounds (20-6, 16-3 LSC) to just 38 percent. Angelo State forced scored 18 points off 15 ENMU turnovers while also adding 12 fast-break points compared to just two for Eastern New Mexico. An ASU win on Saturday and an ENMU loss would give the Belles a share of the LSC title.
"I was very proud of how our team battled tonight," Angelo State head women's basketball coach Kevin Baker siad. "They were down but they were never out. The Belles found a way to win over a very good team."
The four seniors led the way for ASU as Jasmine Prophet recorded a double-double with a game-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. Taylor Dorsey added in 22 points and Christina Robinson chipped in 16 points, five assists and six rebounds. Lexi Murphy scored 10 points while grabbing seven defensive rebounds.
After withstanding a hot-shooting Greyhound team in the first half, the third quarter was all ASU. The Belles took their first lead of the game on a pair of Robinson free throws. ENMU answered with a bucket but two free throws from Keanna Kelly's free throws at the 8:35 mark gave ASU the lead they wouldn't relinquish. Consecutive buckets from Prophet followed by a three-pointer from Robinson built ASU a 55-48 lead. The Greyhounds continued to struggle shooting in the third quarter only making 22.2 percent from the field. ASU was able to get to the line 11 times in the third quarter alone and hit 10 free throws. ASU would take a 67-58 advantage into the fourth quarter.
The fourth quarter started with ASU going on a 13-4 run to build its largest lead of 78-62 with 6:19 left in the game. ENMU battled back to trim the Belles lead to single digits with 1:23 to go. Angelo State took advantage of getting to the free throw line 12 times and made nine of 10 in the final 1:23 to secure the 89-82 victory.
Eastern New Mexico jumped out to a quick 11-5 lead through the first four minutes of the game. A three pointer by Robinson trimmed the deficit to three but ENMU built its largest lead of the game to 18-9 with 4:46 to go in the first. The Greyhounds excelled from behind the arc hitting five 3-pointers and continued its lead by more than five until 50 seconds to go in the quarter. Chenelle Pelle hit a jumper and would make a steal and hit Robinson for a layup to cut the deficit to 25-21 at the end of the first quarter.
The Belles received back-to-back buckets from Jasmine Prophet to cut ENMU's advantage to two. The Greyhounds answered with a quick 5-0 run to push the deficit to seven. The two teams traded buckets throughout the quarter until Prophet hit a jumper with 3:12 to go that started an 8-0 run and had the Belles down only one at 41-40 with 2:37 left in the second. Eastern answered with a 5-0 run but a 3-pointer by Robinson made it 46-43 at the 1:28 mark. ENMU missed a 3-pointer and Bria Frierson answered with a layup to make it 46-45 ENMU at the break. The Greyhounds made eight 3-pointer in the first half but the Belles were able to make 48.6 from the field.
Jasmine Hotchkins was ENMU's leading scorer with 16 points and Daeshi McCants scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
The Belles will continue their road trip to Silver City, New Mexico to face Western New Mexico on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 3 p.m. CST.
