PORTALES, N.M. – West Texas A&M earned a 42-24 victory over Eastern New Mexico Saturday afternoon.

WT started the game with the ball and scored a touchdown on a 12-play six-minute drive. The score came on a fourth down, five-yard rush from Central Washington transfer Tre'jon Hernderson. The Buffs missed the extra point attempt, which opened the door for ENMU on the next series.

Eastern New Mexico responded with a seven-minute sequence finishing with a touchdown. The 75-yard drive saw ENMU run 13 times and throw one pass. Ron Craten scored for Eastern on a 15-yard carry. The team finished ahead, 7-6, after the first quarter of action.

To begin the second quarter, the Greyhounds forced a crucial three-and-out. It only took ENMU seven plays and less than three minutes to extend their lead as Craten found the endzone once again on a one-yard carry.

The Hounds ended up going with a pooch kick with the ensuing kickoff. The short, advantageous play ended up going in the favor of the home side as Tu'unahala Leao recovered the ball after it left the hands of a Buff.

Eastern managed to add a field goal off the leg of Cooper Hamilton who drilled the three points for the Hounds with a 38-yarder into the wind.

With the Hounds up 17-6, it looked to be in ENMU's full control. However, it went fully to West Texas A&M. The Buffs scored 36-straight points over the next three quarters, including 22 total points in the second quarter alone.

The significant run came off a pair of Greyhound turnovers and several failed third down attempts by ENMU. Today, the Hounds only converted one time out of thirteen third down tries. Eastern finished 5-of-9 on fourth down attempts.

The Greyhounds did break the 36-point skid with a pick-six in the fourth quarter from Dylan Gordon. The first-year Hound read the WT quarterbacks' throw perfectly as he caught the interception in stride and raced past the Buffs on his way to a 54-yard return.

"We have to tackle better," said head coach Kelley Lee. "We have to stay together. All of this experience is going to bode well for the future."

The experience Lee was talking about after the game focused on the various newcomers who saw time on the field in today's contest. One of those players he mentioned in the postgame interview was KJ Ford. The running back ran five times for 44 yards. Lee also spoke about newcomers Dathan Yeary (4 tackles) and Isaac Medrano (2 tackles) for their efforts in playing more regularly as first-year student-athletes.

ENMU will now look ahead for a 12 p.m. kick versus Western New Mexico next Saturday.