Box Score EL PASO, TEXAS – The Eastern New Mexico men's basketball team couldn't finish off a hot start to the second half to pull off the upset over Division I University of Texas-El Paso, falling by a final score of 66-59.

The Hounds trailed 33-27 coming out of the halftime break in their first of three exhibition match ups against Division I opponents for the season, but quickly erased the deficit in the opening minutes of the second half. An 18-7 run for Eastern in the first five minutes of the second half that saw them hit six-of-nine shots from the field gave the Hounds a 45-40 lead at the 15:00 minute mark of the half.

After surrendering the lead just a few minutes later, back-to-back buckets from Chukuka Emili and Devin Pullum tied the game back up at 57-57 with just under five minutes remaining. The Miners avoided the upset by outscoring the Hounds 9-to-2 for the remainder of the contest, with the Hounds generating just two shot attempts and missing three free throws in the final five minutes of the game.

Pullum and fellow guard Maurice Coleman led the way for the Hounds scoring attack with 10 and 13 points respectively. The Hounds forced 11 steals as a team on the night, but consistently struggled to control the paint against the Miners, getting outrebounded by a final total of 50-to-35.

Emili led the way with eight rebounds and netted eight points while junior Darius Sawyer made two of his three attempts from the field and added four free throws to finish with eight points as well.

Eastern New Mexico will continue their Division I road trip Wednesday night where they will take on New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M.