DENTON, Texas (Feb. 8, 2018) - Alexis Nezianya scored a game-high 14 points for Texas Woman's University, and Whitney Apari secured her second double-double of the season with 10 points and a career-tying 11 rebounds, but the Pioneer offense made too late of an entrance in a 64-58 loss to Eastern New Mexico Thursday night inside Kitty Magee Arena.
 
KJ Stastny sank a three from the top of the key with 2:10 remaining in the contest to bring the Pioneers within 55-47, and Bri'anna Gray secured the ball under the hoop and put up a bucket to make it a six-point game with 1:59 on the clock. Two free throws by Kameron Daily with 17 seconds remaining kept TWU within 62-56, but ENMU sank late tries from the line to eke out the win.
 
The Pioneers (8-13, 5-10 LSC) put up an impressive 26 points in the fourth quarter, nearly totaling the 34 points gathered within the first three periods. TWU outscored the Greyhounds (14-9, 10-6 LSC) in the paint 28-to-16, but visitors grabbed 43 rebounds to 34 by the Pioneers, and the Greyhound reserves posted 28 points compared to 14 from TWU.
 
Gray collected the first points of the game on a drive from the right side. The Greyhounds responded with three field goals to take a 6-2 lead before a layup by Ma'K'La Woods cut it to two. The Pioneers went scoreless for five minutes as ENMU took a 13-4 advantage. A layup by Gray and two free throws by Apari pulled TWU to within 13-8 at the end of the first.
 
Nezianya was the first to score in the second period on a pair from the line to make it a three-point game. The Greyhounds jumped ahead 20-13 midway through the quarter before three TWU free throws made it 20-16. Gray scored in the paint, and Woods hit two from the line as ENMU led 23-20 at the break.
 
A layup by Nezianya at the 6:32 mark in the third closed the Pioneers within 28-26 before an ENMU three-pointer two minutes later extended the lead to 31-26. Buckets by Nezianya and Apari cut the deficit to 32-20 with less than two minutes to play in the quarter, but eight straight points Greyhound points extended the lead to double-digits at 40-30 with 23 seconds remaining.
 
ENMU made a shot from deep and converted a three-point play to increase their lead to 46-32 two minutes into the final period. With TWU trailing 52-36, Nezianya scored inside, and Stastny nailed a shot from the top of the key to cut the margin to 52-41 with 5:45 to play.
 
The Pioneers host Western New Mexico Saturday at 2 p.m.