SAN ANGELO, Texas – Down 43-24 with 6:34 to go in the first half some teams would begin to warmup the bus and get ready for the next game – not the Greyhounds.
Despite trailing by 19 points, Eastern New Mexico men's basketball tied the contest at 66-all with 86 seconds remaining in the game.
The matchup between Angelo State and ENMU proved to be a nail biter that saw both teams control the game in opposite halves. At the end of the night, the Rams found themselves on the right side with a 73-70 victory on their home court.
A toe-to-toe battle early earned Eastern a 14-11 advantage early in the game, but that's when ASU found its edge on an 11-0 run. From there, they climbed to that daunting 19-point cushion thanks to near flawless shooting from behind the arc and forcing the Hounds into costly turnovers.
Little by little the Greyhounds began turning the storyline in the other direction as the clock ticked towards the intermission. At the break, Angelo State led 45-34.
The game stayed tight over the opening 12 minutes of the final period with ENMU getting the deficit to as little as eight points multiple times, however the Rams always found a way to keep the game in their sights.
That was the case until the lead dipped to six points and soon enough it continued to trickle down to four points until Eastern got it to 66-66 just before the final minute of the battle among two postseason contenders.
"Down 19 points in a really good environment, I was proud of our guys for staying calm," said head coach
Brent Owen on the team's fight in the second half. "They stepped up to the plate to give us a chance to win at the end."
One of the reasons why the Rams began to struggle came from the rebounding battle.
Eastern New Mexico outrebounded Angelo State, 43-26. ENMU earned that distinct advantage because of its efforts on grabbing offensive rebounds where they got 22 total and converted it into 22 second chance points.
Jose Murillo earned his first career collegiate double-double and he had it with 11 minutes remaining in the game. He finished the night with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Two other Hounds scored in double figures –
Jahcoree Ealy (18 pts) and
Greg Johnson (11 pts).
Last time these two teams met, guard
Dwayne Chester III was not available in ENMU's lineup. The junior helped his team in key moments when they needed a ball handler and held a +9 plus/minus in his 16 minutes on the floor.
"Dwayne helped us," said Owen. "He showed us he can handle the ball down the stretch and not turn the ball over."
In the second half, Eastern only gave up 28 points to the Rams after letting them score 45 points over the opening 20 minutes of the contest.
The Greyhounds stayed poised inside the paint tonight earning 36 points from close range and they picked up key blocks from Murillo (3) and
Greg Johnson (2) to continue chipping at the large deficit.
They also took advantage of opportunities at the free throw line, including a 10-for-12 performance from Ealy at the charity stripe.
At the end of the night, ASU earned the narrow victory and ENMU now looks forward to its next game.
Brent Owen and the Hounds will head to Odessa for a Saturday evening battle with UT Permian Basin set for 2 p.m. MT. The game will be streamed on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network and broadcasted live on 105.9 FM KSEL Country.