PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico men's basketball is back in action Thursday and Saturday at Greyhound Arena. The Hounds are riding a 13-home designated contest winning streak dating back to last season.

On the verge of clinching a berth into the Lone Star Conference postseason tournament, ENMU will faceoff against a pair of teams who beat Eastern earlier this season. Before tipoff at 7:30 p.m. CT Thursday night, please take a look at the Starting Five:

1.) Keep On Winning: ENMU beat Midwestern State, 66-51, and Cameron, 93-63, in a pair of dominant wins last weekend. Eastern held MSU to 15-of-51 (29.4%) from the field, including just one three-pointer on the night. No starter for the Mustangs scored in double figures. As for the Hounds, they had a balanced scoring attack to complement a tight defense. Eze Dike scored 15 points and a trio of teammates (Jahcoree Ealy, Errol White and Blazej Czerniewicz) scored a dozen each. A 30-point rout of Cameron Saturday evening proved to be a full team effort as ten different players scored. Greg Johnson stayed true to driving inside the paint and fought for baskets in close proximity to the hoop. He contributed a game-high 28 points. Czerniewicz continued his hot streak with a career-high 16 points. Two other Hounds, Jahcoree Ealy (15 pts) and Errol White (11 pts), scored double digit points.

2.) Double The Fun: Queens, N.Y. native Errol White earned his seventh double double of the season as he scored 11 points and hauled in 14 rebounds against the Aggies. He is averaging 10.6 ppg and a conference-best 9.3 rpg. White also leads the program with 36 steals and is second among his teammates with 15 blocks. At his previous institution, Angelina College, he finished the 2021-22 season with eleven double doubles. If the season ended today, his 5.7 defensive boards per game would put him at first all-time in program records. The stat goes back to the 2001-02 season.

3.) Stats Matter: The Greyhounds are the best team in the Lone Star Conference in terms of field goal percentage defense as they only allow opponents to connect on 40.6% (494-1218 FG) of their shot attempts. The next closest team is Midwestern State who is holding foes to 41.9% this season. Two of the worst teams in this category are LCU (14th – 45.4%) and WT (16th – 49.3%). Offensively, ENMU is shooting well compared to its peers. The program is fifth among the group averaging 73.6 ppg and connects on 45.6% (569-1247 FG) of their attempts so far in 2022-23. Eastern is also the league's top rebounding program (37.7 rpg) after two solid performances over the weekend against teams in the top-five in grabbing boards.

4.) Going Viral: ICYMI Junior Hodnett owned the show Saturday evening at Greyhound Arena despite just connecting on two shots in the first half. A three-point make and a high-flying transition dunk got the crowd roaring as ENMU broke out on a 13-0 run to claim the double digit leading the rest of the way. His coast-to-coast slam holds more than 21,000 impressions on Twitter, close to 15,000 plays on Instagram, and more than 1,000 views on Facebook. The freshman from Rio Rancho is playing a vital role for a Greyhound team looking to stay in the top-half of the LSC to claim a spot in postseason play. He has played 238 minutes and is averaging 2.9 ppg and 1.1 rpg.

5.) Rivalry Revenge: ENMU has faced WT 113 times since 1935. The Buffs hold a commanding 93-20 lead in the overall series. When the game is played at Greyhound Arena, the series sits at 40-12 in favor of the Buffs. When these two squads met in January in Canyon, WT jumped out to a large lead until ENMU started chipping away in the second half. In the closing minutes, West Texas A&M controlled the battle at the free throw line and came away with a 108-97 win. The battle with LCU plays in their favor as they have a 37-28 record against Eastern New Mexico. Despite trailing the overall series, the Hounds are 17-14 when the games are played at Greyhound Arena versus the Chaps. Lubbock Christian was nearly flawless against Eastern earlier in the season. They beat ENMU, 89-65, in a contest that has propelled them to begin another lengthy home winning streak after falling to Western New Mexico this season. A handful of promotions will take place on both days. Thursday will be a giveaway for the first 300 students inside the arena as they will receive a free hot dog. There will also be a 50/50 raffle in support of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The game versus LCU will feature Pink Day.