PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico men's basketball opens Lone Star Conference play Thursday night with a showdown versus St. Edward's at 7 p.m. The Greyhounds will then host St. Mary's to complete the weekend of action inside Greyhound Arena for a 3 p.m. tip.

1. All In The Stats: Eastern New Mexico heads into the weekend with strong "team" stats. What does that mean? ENMU is second in the conference in assist/turnover ratio (1.43) and assists per game (16.8). Pay attention to shooting accuracy from Junior Hodnett. The Rio Rancho, N.M. native is 8-for-15 (.533) from behind the arc. The Hounds also have three players posting double digit scoring figures – Jahcoree Ealy (19.8 ppg), Mario Whitley (16.0 ppg), and Greg Johnson (14.3 ppg). Johnson has been one of the strongest players for Eastern early on in the season as he is the only player in the LSC with a perfect mark (17-17 FT) from the charity stripe.

2. Comeback Kids: The Greyhounds have fought in recent games, securing a 10-point comeback win against Adams State and nearly erasing a 14-point advantage to No. 15 Fort Lewis. The Hounds eventually fell to the ranked Skyhawks, 75-74, on the road. Jahcoree Ealy posted strong results in both games as he marked a career-best 29 points versus the Grizzlies and 28 points in the matchup with FLC. Sophomore Jose Murillo went for a career-high 22 points in the win over Adams State.

3. Don't Be Afraid To Shoot: The Hilltoppers have proven to be one of the most talented teams in the Lone Star Conference as their top player Sean Elkinton has a conference leading four double-doubles. One of the major keys is to limit big plays from Elkinton as he is averaging 21.7 ppg and 9.4 rpg. SEU struggles at field goal percentage defense as they allow opponents to connect on 48.2% of their shot attempts. Exploiting scoring opportunities and distributing the ball effectively among key players will be a point of emphasis to watch for ENMU. Senior Lyron Bennett leads the team with 4.8 assists per game for the Hounds.

4. Force Tough Shots: St. Mary's (TX) presents a unique challenge with their fast-paced gameplay and ability to get rebounds. They lead the conference with 44.75 rebounds per contest and Lachlan Bofinger is a big reason why as he earns four offensive rebounds per contest. Eastern New Mexico's defensive resilience will be put to the test as they aim to disrupt St. Mary's offensive rhythm. The Rattlers only hit 41.8% of their shot attempts, but score at a high-rate as they average 88.5 points per contest. Keep an eye on defensive stats, including steals and blocks, as the Greyhounds strive to control the tempo of the game against StMU.

5. Reverse The Preview: This weekend will play crucial for Eastern New Mexico's postseason fate as both of these programs had ENMU's number during the 2022-23 season. A win over both SEU and StMU will set the stage for a season with different expectations. Eastern is projected to finish eighth in the LSC as voted by conference coaches, media representatives, and sports information directors. SEU will be traveling to face Eastern in Portales for the second time. The Hilltoppers hold a 6-2 series advantage, including a six-game winning streak. StMU will be making their first trip to Greyhound Arena in program history. The Hounds own the series, 3-2, with the last win coming in December 2019 when Eastern came away with a 76-69 win.