PORTALES, N.M. – The Lone Star Conference home opener is on Thursday night as Eastern New Mexico takes on No. 19 UT Tyler at 7:30 p.m. The Greyhounds are coming off a close contest against St. Mary's on the road and look to battle back as they host a ranked opponent for the first time this season.
To cap off the home weekend, ENMU will play Dallas Baptist Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. Before the Hounds hit the court against a pair of top LSC foes, please take a look at the Starting Five:
1.) Oh So Close: Grehlon Easter led the team with 14 points and four assists, while
Errol White and
Jose Murillo added ten each in a 76-66 loss to St. Mary's Dec. 3. They Greyhounds held a one-point lead before the final media timeout of the second half, but could not maintain the Rattlers tough attack down the stretch. White finished with six rebounds in the match and
Eze Dike contributed six points and two assists.
2.) Big Boards: Errol White leads the LSC with 9.5 rebounds per game and 4.0 offensive rebounds as well. He is the first Greyhound to average 9.5 or more per contest since Anthony Sullen who did so during the 1992-93 season. The 6-7 forward from Queens, N.Y. transferred to Eastern New Mexico from Angelina College.
3.) TO's with a side of grit: ENMU ranks eighth among NCAA DII programs forcing 19.5 turnovers per game. They forced a season-high, 27 turnovers, in a win over Northern New Mexico on Nov. 23. In that game, four players had at least two steals. Eastern is averaging 9.2 steals per contest. The gritty play has helped the program earn a 5-3 record over the first six weeks of the season.
4.) Battle Every Day: It's no surprise that every game in the Lone Star Conference is a battle and Thursday will not be easy as UT Tyler comes to Portales undefeated. The 6-0 program ranks at the top of the league in ten team statistics including: fouls per game, rebounds per game, three point percentage defense, and field goal percentage defense. DBU sits at 7-3 and will go to Portales Saturday afternoon after a matchup with Western New Mexico. Also named the Patriots, Dallas Baptist is aided by the conference leader in steals per game, Ta'Jay Dunlap (2.67 spg) and its hot shooting offense connecting on 47.8% from the field.
5.) Para La Familia: Families are encouraged to join ENMU for Family Day on Saturday. The festivities begin with the women's basketball taking on Texas Woman's at 1 p.m. followed by the men's team going toe-to-toe with DBU at 3 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase at goeasternathletics.com/tickets
