DENTON, Texas (Jan. 25, 2025) – In her 500th career game as the Head Coach of the Texas Woman's basketball team, Coach Beth Jillson guided the Pioneers to their 13th straight win and 19th win of the season.
 
TWU (19-1, 12-1) defeated Eastern New Mexico (12-7, 7-6) on Saturday afternoon at home. After trailing by seven points at halftime, the Pioneers responded with a 30-15 second half to claim the eight point victory. TWU held the Greyhounds to just seven points in the third quarter and eight in fourth quarter, marking the 15th and 16th time this season TWU has kept an opponent to under 10 points in a quarter.
 
TWU held the Greyhounds to their second lowest point total of the season, as it marked the 12th straight game the Pioneers have held their opponent to scoring 55 or less points.  
 
After the game, TWU celebrated Ashley Ingram's historical achievement of moving into No. 1 in career points in program history.
 
IMPACT PLAYERS

• Ashley Ingram led the way in the win with 17 points. She also recorded eight rebounds, one assist and one steal. She shot 50% from the field on her way to 17 points.
• Scout Huffman also finished in double-digits with 12 points. She grabbed four rebounds and matched her career high with two blocks. She went a perfect 4-for-4 from the free throw line, as she continues her streak of perfection, 27-for-27 on the season.
• Gabby Elliott finished with nine points and also went perfect from the free throw line (3-for-3). She added three rebounds to her stat line in the win.
• Leila Patel was strong on the boards this afternoon, ending with eight on the day. Additionally, she scored six points.
• Four Pioneers went perfect from the free throw line in the win: Huffman (4-for-4), Elliott (3-for-3), Averee Kleinhans (1-for-1) and Ariyanna Hines (1-for-1).
• Kayla Glover distributed the ball well in the win, matching her career high with five assists. Jada Celsur was also strong in sharing the wealth with a season high four assists.

 
PIONEER POWER MOMENTS

• The Pioneers forced the Greyhounds to turn the ball over 16 times for 11 TWU points.
• TWU also won the rebound battle, out-rebounding ENMU 40-34.
• Despite not connecting on a three pointer in the win, the Pioneers did a great job of working the ball around on offense and finding high percentage ways to score - not settling for thre three - as they shot 41.8% from the field and held ENMU to shooting 36.7% from the field and 17.6% from the three point line.
• ENMU came out of the gate strong with a 16-point opening quarter and 24-point second quarter. The Pioneers stayed connected during those runs, scoring 14 in the first and 19 in the second.
• Ingram opened the scoring for TWU with a bucket 30 seconds in to tie the game at 2-2. 
• Then, after made free throws by Ingram and Huffman, TWU hit a scoring drought in the first quarter, as they worked to find their rhythm. After about five minutes of action with just one point, Kleinhans hit a layup off the assist by Elliott to end the drought and cut the deficit to six, 16-10 with one minute left in the quarter.
• The Pioneers closed the quarter strong with a bucket by Gionna Carr and two made free throws by Elliott to head into the second quarter trailing by just two points, 16-14.
• To open the second quarter, TWU took a one point led, 17-16, after a successful and-one make by Kleinhans just 10 seconds into the quarter. The score would go back-and-forth for the first five minutes of the second quarter, as neither team led by more than one point during that time. Then, ENMU mounted a 9-0 run to take a 10-point lead, 36-26, with 2:47 left in the half.
• Elliott broke the Greyhounds' run with a strong and-one to cut the Greyhounds' lead to seven, 36-29, with 1:52 remaining in the second quarter. Elliott would close the quarter with two more buckets to keep TWU close heading into halftime, 40-33, and put the Pioneers in a good position to respond in the second half.
• TWU opened the third quarter with three straight buckets to quickly tie the game up at 40. They locked down on defense and held the Greyhounds scoreless until the four minute mark of the quarter.
• In the strong defensive quarter, the Pioneers would lead by as much as four, 48-44, after a jumper by Celsur with eight seconds left on the clock. ENMU would close the third with an and-one, but TWU would still hold the lead heading into the final quarter of action, 48-47.
• Celsur quickly set the tone in the fourth with a bucket in the opening second of action to push TWU ahead by three points. The score would go back-and-forth, as ENMU would lead by as much as four in the final quarter.
• At the 5:40 mark, Patel connected on a layup to put TWU ahead by one, 54-53. Following that made bucket, the Pioneers would hold the lead the rest of the way. They would score nine more points in the quarter and hold the Greyhounds to just two points in the final five minutes to claim the eight point victory, 63-55.
• Glover would take the final free throw of the night to ice the win and give TWU their largest lead of the day at eight to close the game.

 
HEAR FROM LEILA PATEL
 
Hear post game thoughts from Leila Patel: https://youtu.be/2vw0SZGCWqU.
 
NEXT UP
 
The Pioneers will continue their home stand next week. They will meet Oklahoma Christian on Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. in Kitty Magee Arena.