Saturday, December 13, 2014
                                                                                                                
ODESSA, TEXAS. — University of Texas of the Permian Basin (5-3) took a one-point lead with 1:22 left in Saturday's contest at The Falcon Dome, but Chris Wyms (Jr., G, Carson, Calif. / King Drew Medical Magnet HS / Cerritos College) hit four free throws as the Eastern New Mexico University men's basketball team (6-4) closed the final 32 seconds with a 6-2 run on the way to a 102-99 win. The victory improved the Hounds to a perfect 5-0 in games decided by eight points or less, this season.
 
With the win Eastern improved to 2-1 all-time against Texas-Permian Basin and avenged an 81-65 loss from earlier in the season. In the loss, UTPB held a nine point edge in points off turnovers, a statistical category which was even in today's contest. The game also was the Falcon's first home loss of the season.
 
Neither team could sustain momentum in the early going, but UTPB's Stephen Thompson snapped a 16-all tie and ignited a 6-0 run, which staked the home team to a 22-16 lead with 11:27 left in the opening half. ENMU rallied to within a single-point, but Permian Basin's Xavier Martin hit four consecutive free throws as the Falcons pushed their lead to seven, 31-24. Texas-Permian Basin led by as many as 14 points in the half, but Seth Bailey (Sr., F, Texico, N.M./Texico HS) hit a trey just before halftime, to pull Eastern within 49-38 at intermission.
 
After shooting 38.5 percent from the floor and 22.2 percent from three-point range in the first half, the Hounds found their range in the second half, with an overall shot percentage of 51.7 and a 66.7 (8-12) conversion rate in the second half. After an early exchange had UTPB's lead at 53-41, Wyms hit a pair of three-point buckets and John Gilliam (Jr., G, San Bernardino, Calif./Upland HS/Chaffey College) hit a trey to cap an 8-2 Greyhound run, to trim the deficit to 55-49 with 16:57 left. A few minutes later, the Hounds went on an 18-6 run, fueled by six free throws from Mike Randle (Sr., G, Houston, Texas/Paris JC) to seize a 70-65 lead with 12:36 left.
 
Eastern took its largest lead, 76-83 on a trey from Demetrius Balark (Jr., G, Glendale, Ariz./Raymond S. Kellis HS/Cochise College) with 8:21 left, but UTPB answered with 10 consecutive points over a stretch of 2:58 to take an 86-83 lead. The game would be tied six more times, the final coming at 97-all on the first of Wyms four straight free throws. Randle hit a pair of free throws with seven seconds left to expand a one-point lead to three.
 
The teams combined for 99 free throw attempts, with ENMU converting on 42-of-48, while UTPB hit 37-of-51 from the charity stripe. Wyms reached the 20-point mark for the second straight game, with a career-best 29 points, while Randle poured in 20 points and dished out three assists. Gilliam chipped in 16 points, had four assists and a pair of blocked shots, while Lawrence Domingo (Union City, Calif. / Community Charter Early College HS/Stoneridge Prep) added 13 points. Balark rounded out the players in double figures, with 10 points. Phadarius Taylor paced UTPB with 20 points.
 
The Eastern New Mexico University men's basketball team will return to action on Friday evening, when they visit South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. The contest will tip off at 7:30 p.m. MT.
 
NOTES
 
Texas-Permian Basin ranked ninth in the latest Men's Basketball Media Poll sponsored by D2SIDA South Central Region Poll
 
The game marked the second time this season Eastern has scored 100 points and the fifth time they have scored at least 90 points. ENMU is 5-0 in those games
 
The last time the Hounds reached the century mark twice in the same season was in the 2011-12 season against Oklahoma Panhandle and University of the Southwest
 
Eastern scored 90 or more points on three occasions last season
 
25 of Wyms 29 points came in the second half, while 16 of Randle's 20 also came in the final 20 minutes of play