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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – Down 72-70, ENMU senior guard Lamarquis Thompson drained a three with one second left on the clock to give the Greyhounds a 73-72 upset of 16^th-ranked Fort Lewis at Dreamstyle Arena – The Pit in the RMAC-LSC Challenge opener. It marks the second-straight season the Hounds have started 1-0 under Head Coach Tres Segler and also gives the Hounds wins in back-to-back seasons over top-20 teams that made the NCAA Postseason.
 
"First off, in a game like that, against such a highly ranked opponent who finished the season deep in the national tournament is a big win for our program," Segler said. "You have to respect how good a program Fort Lewis is. They have an unbelievable offensive coach and he has his guys ready to take advantage of your mistakes. Every time we go head-to-head with them, I've been blown away by what to do. Rasmus Bach is an unbelievable talent and Marquel Beasely gave us fits all night.
 
"I was really proud of how we competed together as a family. We made a lot of unselfish plays and as a result, we got some high-quality looks, especially in the second half. Lamarquis Thompson with 13 rebounds tonight was incredible. The last second shot he made was very heroic. He's a guy that works so hard in the offseason, it's nice to see him have success. I was thrilled with how my forwards, Jamani Pierce, Arcaim Lallemand, Andre Hughes and Isaac Maldonado battled their bigs in the paint."
 
The games hero, Lamarquis Thompson scored a game-high 23 points, going 6-of-9 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from downtown. The Houston product logged a double-double and had a game high with 13 rebounds in the win. Thompson didn't do it all himself though, distributing three assists as well.
 
Playing in his first game donning the Green and Silver, Jamani Pierce put on a show of his own. The Chicago native put up 21 points and eight rebounds to go along with a block and a steal, while shooting 50% from the field.
 
In his first collegiate game, Devin Pullum shined. The true freshman had 10 points to go along with three rebounds and assists, but most importantly, going 6-of-9 from the charity stripe.
 
The Hounds dominated the first half, leading for 15:37 before a slow spell hit in the last four minutes leading to a 34-34 tie going into the break. After leading by as many as 13, Fort Lewis was able to chip away as the Green and Silver went 1-of-12 from the field over the final four minutes. With 1:31 to go in the half, Thompson dropped in a three to regain the lead for the Hounds at 34-32.
 
Pierce and Thompson were the top offensive performers in the first half. Pierce accounted for 10 points and four rebounds on 4-of-9 shooting. Thompson did most of his damage from beyond the arc, rattling in a pair of threes for six of his seven points. The senior guard also pulled down seven boards and had a pair of dimes in the opening period.
 
The second half was a back and forth tilt the entire way as Eastern only trailed by as many as four in the final period. The final three minutes featured five lead changes. Trailing 72-70 with 41 seconds to go, Pierce missed a jumper and the Skyhawks grabbed the rebound, but quickly turned the ball over with 14 seconds to play. Timeout called by the Greyhounds. After Segler drew up a play, Thompson came through in the clutch with a three to give the Hounds the win, 73-72
 
"This is a huge win for our program," Segler closed with. "This is the start of something special for this group. I'm proud of how we handled the game as a group. This is a huge start to our season and a big boost to our program.
 
The Hounds remain in Albuquerque to face New Mexico Highlands. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m. at Dreamstyle Arena. For the latest news on ENMU Athletics, follow @ENMU_Hoops and @ENMUAthletics on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or visit GoEasternAthletics.com.