KINGSVILLE, Texas –The Eastern New Mexico University men's basketball team rallied from a 13-point deficit in the second half, but came up short against Texas A&M-Kingsville, 72-64. Eastern moves to 7-11 on the year and 1-7 in Lone Star Conference play.
 
Offensively, Joe Clarke scored 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field while senior guard Chris Wyms tacked on 13, going 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Forward Arcaim Lallemand pulled down eight rebounds to lead the defensive effort for the 'Hounds. The Carson, Calif., native also added three steals and two assists.
 
"Chris Wyms has been that guy all year who has shown a lot of adversity and nerves when I've gone to him," ENMU Head Coach Tres Segler said. "I thought tonight I might have left him on the court a little too long, but even through that fatigue, he was a warrior. Byrale Carter had some good moments in relief. Arcaim played the five tonight and having a guy that's 6-6 able to come in and do that is such a blessing. Chaunce Hill and Chris Lewis never seemed to get in a rhythm offensively. Isaac Maldonado and Lucas Bowen each went in and held the line in different moments. It was just one of those nights that we couldn't get a rhythm going."
 
Despite trailing by as many as 13 points in the second half, the Greyhounds never shied away from pressure, pulling to within one multiple times. Joe Clarke converted an and-one attempt with just over a minute left to cut the deficit to three, but the 'Hounds were unable to tie the game.
 
"I thought the free throw shooting was a hallmark performance tonight," Segler added. "It certainly kept our spirits high. We felt like we were in striking distance the whole time. I give so much credit to my guy's toughness for continuing to fight and battle. They had momentum swing their way in some big moments and that's what ended up being the back-breaker. If I had it to do over again, I would've used a timeout down the stretch to settle things down, but the point guards did a good job of orchestrating the game late."
 
In the first half, Eastern was limited to 28 points on 8-of-22 shooting, going 36% from the court. Offensively, the Greyhounds were held to just three assists and 16 turnovers in the opening period, leading to 17 points for Kingsville.
 
Eastern returns to the court on Saturday, Jan. 21, to take on Angelo State. Tipoff against the Rams is slated for 2 p.m. in San Angelo. For the latest news, follow @ENMUAthletics and @ENMU_Hoops on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and visit goeasternathletics.com.