PHOENIX – The energy inside GCU Arena for tonight's game seemed like Eastern New Mexico and Grand Canyon were playing for a conference championship. Instead, it was an exhibition game to kickoff the 2022-23 season.

The Greyhounds fell to the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) preseason favorite, 71-43 Friday night.

Despite the 28-point defeat, ENMU forced one of the top programs to turn the ball over 20 times, including 13 in the first half.

"I loved our intensity on the defensive end," said head coach Brent Owen. "We forced an NCAA Tournament caliber team into 20 turnovers, which reflects our effort."

ENMU shot 33% from the field and had a game-high 12 points off the bench from Greg Johnson who hit 4-of-11 attempts.

Center, Malique Oates showed nice poise in his first game for the Greyhounds as he drained three lengthy shots, including one from behind the arc. He finished with eight points and a rebound.

"Offensively we were up against the number one defense in the WAC last year," said Owen. "The experience we gained in this atmosphere will be beneficial, especially for our young guys who will now be more prepared for the tough environments in the LSC."

Eastern will begin regular season play on November 11 and 12 when they travel to Las Vegas, N.M. to face Fort Lewis and New Mexico Highlands at the LSC/RMAC Challenge.

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