After spending two months out on the road, the Sul Ross State women's basketball team is now home for seven games.
The homestand began Monday afternoon with a non-conference game against the Northern New Mexico College Eagles out of the NAIA level.
Sul Ross held off the Eagles for a 67-53 victory at the Pete P. Gallego Center to extend the win streak to four games.
The Eagles came in shorthanded with just five players.
"Nobody was serious about this game. I'm very disappointed because we have a lot of tough games coming up," said Sul Ross head coach E.J. Lee Smith. "Everybody knows we're a pretty good team. So, everybody's going to be ready to play us.
"We have to prepare extra hard. We have a lot of things to work on."
Sul Ross started off the game on a 7-0 run after a three-pointer by
Brianna Martin and a layup by
Lauren Lusk.
Northern New Mexico kept the game respectable by trailing by one with 4:57 in the opening quarter.
The Lobos then used a 6-0 run fueled by four quick points from
Kayley Diaz and a layup by
Vania Hampton to grow the lead to seven.
Aided by a three-pointer, the Eagles cut the deficit to four with 2:37 to go. Sul Ross rolled to an 8-0 run where
Victoria Aguayo scored all eight points which included a clutch three-pointer.
Holding a 10-point lead at the end of one, Lusk got a three-point play after being fouled on a made layup to start the second quarter.
The Lobo lead grew to 15 when Martin made a layup and landed a clutch three-pointer.
Sul Ross narrowly outscored the Eagles, 18-15, in the final quarter. The Lobos led by as much as 19 after
Jocelyne Roque made a layup off an assist by
Emily Bunger with 47 seconds to go.
Hampton tallied her second double-double of the year by scoring 12 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
Marley Rokas added with 10 points, eight rebounds and three steals.
Aguayo also chipped in with 10 points while she grabbed six boards.
Lusk had five assists and five steals as she finished with nine points.
Melody Martinez and Martin each tallied eight points.
Sul Ross won the battle on the glass by grabbing 49 rebounds to Northern New Mexico's 31.
"I'll take any kind of win, but still I have to tell them I'm not happy," Smith added. "They really need to step up if they want to go to the conference tournament.
"I believe that we can go further. I'm very excited about the home games. Our fans make our players excited."
>> RECORDS: Sul Ross (10-6); Northern Mexico College (3-17)
>> UP NEXT: The Lobos resume American Southwest Conference play hosting the University of Texas at Dallas at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19.
>> ASC STANDINGS: 1. Hardin-Simmons (14-2, 9-0); 2. Mary Hardin-Baylor (12-4, 7-2); 3. (tie) East Texas Baptist (12-4, 6-3); UT-Dallas (10-6, 6-3); and Sul Ross (10-6, 6-3); 6. Concordia (7-8, 4-5); 7. Ozarks (6-10, 3-6); 8. McMurry (8-7, 2-7); 9. LeTourneau (6-10, 2-7); 10. Howard Payne (2-14, 0-9).
