PORTALES, N.M. (February 8, 2025) – After earning a five-point win at home over the Greyhounds last month, this time around it was Eastern New Mexico University that defeated The University of Texas Permian Basin women's basketball team by five points, 71-66, on Saturday afternoon.

Taysha Rushton scored a game-high 23 points on 7-for-15 shooting from the field, 3-7 shooting from three and a 6-for-6 mark from the free throw line. She also added six rebounds and two steals.

Khiara Flugence scored 16 points on 8-for-13 shooting and added six boards, four steals and three assists.

Kamari Portalis had 11 points; Avalon Munoz had eight points, four assists and two steals; and Morgan Helgesen and four points and a game-high seven rebounds.

For ENMU, nine different players scored over six points in the game.

The Falcons shot 44.6 percent from the field but just 4-of-18 (22.2 percent) from three. It was their lowest number of 3-point makes after averaging over 8.0 made threes per game so far this season and was their worst 3-point percentage in conference action. UTPB was also held to a season-low in rebounds (26).

The Greyhounds, meanwhile, shot at least 50 percent from the field in all four quarters, including at least 60 percent in the first and fourth quarters, and finished at 55.3 percent shooting for the contest, the highest percentage surrendered by the Falcons this year.

Points in the paint (32-32) and second chance points (6-6) were both dead even, but ENMU did lead 27-11 on bench points.

There were 11 lead changes in the first quarter, but after a jumper in the final minute of the opening period by the ENMU, UTPB would never lead again.

Neither team led by more than four points in the first half, but after two free throws in the final minute allowed the Greyhounds to go up by two (34-32) at the break, ENMU made the first two baskets of the third quarter to go up by seven points (39-32).

ENMU led by nine points (45-36) halfway through the third quarter, but a layup by Rushton in the final minute of that period made it a five-point game (49-44) heading into the fourth quarter.

Just like it they did in the third quarter, the Greyhounds scored the first two baskets of the fourth quarter, jumping ahead by nine points again (53-44) just over a minute and a half into the final period.

UTPB would cut it to three (59-56) on a layup by Flugence with three minutes remaining, and then a 3-pointer by Rushton with just over two minutes left made it a two-point deficit (61-59).

The Greyhounds, however, would answer back with a 3-pointer with 1:40 left, and then after two free throws by Munoz with 1:23 on the clock, another jumper by ENMU in the final minute of the period made it a five-point margin (66-61).

UTPB would miss its ensuing layup try, and although it struggled at the free throw line (4-8) in the final minute, ENMU was able to withstand a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws by Rushton in the final 30 seconds.

The Falcons were 12-for-16 (75 percent) from the free throw line, including an 8-for-11 clip in the fourth quarter.

With a three-game winning streak against the Greyhounds snapped, UTPB falls to 12-11 overall and 10-7 in the Lone Star Conference while ENMU improves to 15-8 and matches the Falcons at 10-7 in conference play. The Falcons and Greyhounds are now a part of a three-way tie for third place in the West Division at 6-5 and are tied for sixth place in the overall LSC standings.

UT Permian Basin keeps on traveling, playing at Midwestern State University at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, February 13.