Men's Basketball | 1/29/2016 11:26:00 AM
Men's Basketball Release | 01.29.16 | David Norton, Assistant Director of Athletic Communications | Photo by Mati Tharp
PORTALES, N.M. — The Eastern New Mexico men's basketball team, fresh off its first Lone Star Conference victory of the last two seasons, is set to take on rival West Texas A&M in their first meeting of the 2015-16 season.
The Buffs (16-7, 4-3 LSC) are currently in the midst of a four game win streak, most recently taking out Southwestern Christian 78-70. WT has won their last three conference matchups as well, with wins over Tarleton State, Texas A&M-Commerce and Texas A&M-Kingsville. Their last loss came against Angelo State Jan. 13.
The Greyhounds (5-13, 1-5 LSC) are looking to capitalize on their momentum coming out of last week's win over Commerce. A win over the Buffs couldn't come at a better time, with the matchup marking the halfway point of conference play. A victory would carry well into the final stretch for Eastern.
Both ENMU and WT share a common LSC loss to Angelo State, currently ranked No. 14 in the nation. Both universities also shared the same fate against the conference's top dog as well as No. 6 in the country, Midwestern State. The Mustangs (16-2, 5-1 LSC) handed the Hounds their worst loss of the season while the Buffs fell by nine points at home.
Tipoff is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 30, at 3 p.m. (MT) in Canyon, Texas.
Inside the Series
The Buffs lead the all-time series over the Greyhounds 65-18. In Canyon, ENMU is 8-40. The last time the two teams met was Feb. 28, 2015, when the Buffs snatched a 10 point win (96-86) at home.
The last time ENMU got a win over WT was March 1, 2015, when the Hounds smashed their rivals 94-63. The previous matchup in 2014 was the last time ENMU won in Canyon, stealing a 58-57 victory from West Texas.
Key Contributors
Senior Lawrence Domingo has stepped into the lead role for the Hounds, averaging 11.4 points per game, 8.3 rebounds and shooting 45 percent from the field. The forward also leads to team in double-doubles, recording five on the season thus far.
Javaan Mumtaz and Ladarius Stewart are also contributing heavily on the offensive end of the court, averaging 11.1 and 10.7 ppg, respectively. Mumtaz is second in the LSC in 3-point shooting, hitting 49 percent of his shots from beyond the arc in conference play.
