PORTALES, N.M - Eastern New Mexico will head to Canyon, Texas this Saturday to face rival West Texas A&M as they get conference play started for the 2019-20 season.
LAST WEEK
Eastern New Mexico visited UTEP in their last exhibition game of the season. Taking the lead in the first eight minutes of play, the Greyhounds started off strong, but found foul trouble early on. Five Hounds were called for three or more fouls to bring the team total to 23 before the end of the game. Finishing the game with a 66.7 free throw percentage, the Hounds led the Miners from the free throw line going 16-fo-r24.
Isaiah Murphy led the Hounds in points, recording 14, and hit a perfect 100 percent from behind the three-point line. Junior
Yosnier Cobas knocked down eleven points in 18 minutes of play, the most points in a single game so far this season for Cobas and finished with a 62.5 field goal percentage.
SCOUTING THE COMPETITION
Last season, West Texas A&M made history with a record 34 wins, a 19-game winning streak along with a South Central, Lone Star Conference Tournament and Regular Season Title. The Buffs reached the NCAA Division II Elite Eight before falling to Southern Indiana by a final score of 94-84. This year, West Texas A&M was picked first in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll, hoping for a third straight LSC title. The Buffs started off their season with an overtime win against Lincoln Memorial where four players finished in double figures. Last week the Buffalos took a 75-64 win over Midwestern State to open the season with six straight wins, the first time in program history.
Texas A&M transfer John Brown made his Buffalo debut against Lincoln Memorial where he only played three minutes but recorded three rebounds and two points. This season Brown has averaged seven points a game with a free throw percentage of .818. Brown is also a force on the glass recording 30 rebounds in five games. Returning Sophomore Qua Grant has already reached 100 points this season, and scored a game high of 22 points last weekend against Midwestern State. Grant is currently ranked third in the Lone Start Conference for scoring, and leads his team in rebounds with 33 this season. Joel Murray, a returning sophomore guard, has also scored over 100 points this season, averaging 22 a game with a free throw percentage of 86.5. Murray was electirc in the season opener against Lincoln Memorial scoring 27 points and playing all 40 minutes of the contest.
HOUNDS IN THE LSC CONFERENCE
Jose Serrano is ranked third for field goal percentage at 66.7,
Devin Pullum is ranked third for assists with 13 overall,averaging 6.5 per game.
Isaiah Murphy made the top five in steals with 2.5 a game.
BREAKING IN THE NEW HOUNDS
Venezuela junior
Jose Serrano totaled 40 minutes at the LSC/RMAC challenge in Durango, Colo. with a total of 29 points and seven rebounds. Serrano's 66.7 field goal percentage ranked him in the top five of the Lone Star Conference, a great start for the new Hound.
Marvin Mapaga, a junior from Gabon, Africa, impressed in his 40 minutes of play totaling 25 points and started out his Hound career shooting 85.7 percent from the free throw line. In his next contest, Mapaga shot a 71.4 field goal percentage and totaled five rebounds in his 19 minutes played.
Brandon Meadows, a junior from Freeport, Bahamas lead the Hounds with thirteen rebounds at the LSC/RMAC conference challenge. With 28 minutes played, Meadows averaged a field goal percentage of 66.7, which places him in the top three for the Hounds. Forward
Mathew Mazique from Birmingham Alabama recorded a perfect free throw line percentage against Fort Lewis. Miami junior
Yosnier Cobas hit the glass for eight rebounds in his Hound debut totaling ten so far for this season. Junior guard from Los Angeles, California,
Ibn Zaid, recorded 14 points and shot a 75 field goal percentage.
Jose Serrano, a junior guard, has proved to be essential averaging a percentage over 66 percent in all three categories with a 87.5 percent from the free throw line.
SO FAR THIS SEASON
Starting off the 2019-20 the Greyhounds fell to University of Tennessee in the season opening exhibition game 107-59. In their next contest the Greyhounds trailed by 11 points at the half only to fall to the University of New Mexico in their second exhibition game and second game of the season. The Hounds started their regular season at the LSC/RMAC Conference Challenge in Durango, Colo. Their first game against New Mexico Highlands proved to be a battle between the two teams. Despite a late comeback effort in their second contest the Hounds lost 90-85 to Fort Lewis. Last weekend the Greyhounds visited UTEP for their last exhibition game of the season and lost the contest 71-57.
