PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico men's basketball is still on the road for another Lone Star Conference matchup. The Greyhounds are set to take on the Rams of Angelo State at 2 p.m. MT Saturday afternoon. Before the game, please take a look at the Starting Five preview:

1.) Single Digit Loss: Eastern New Mexico men's basketball lost to UT Permian Basin Thursday night, 78-74. The loss brings ENMU to 9-5 (4-4 LSC). Eastern was led in scoring by Mo Austin who posted 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting. The team was held to 27-of-72 (37.5%) from the field and only hit six three pointers. The Hounds did win the rebound battle, 47-35, which improved their +10.6 rebound margin to rank fifth in the nation. Three other players joined Austin in double digit scoring – Cougar Downing (12 pts), Treyvon Byrd (11 pts), and Mario Whitley (10 pts). All five starters for UTPB had ten or more points, including Maison Adeleye who carried the offense with a game-best 26 points. Adeleye and his teammate DJ Armstrong hit all eight of the Falcons eight three point makes.

2.) Freshmen Support: Two first year Greyhounds have made vital impacts to the program midway through the season. Mo Austin and Brandon Kehres have played key roles despite coming into collegiate basketball directly from high school a year ago. Austin has played in all 14 games for ENMU making ten starts. He is posting 8.7 points per game after scoring in double figures five times over the last six contests. Kehres has played in ten games for Eastern and is averaging 10.8 minutes per game. He is fifth on the team with six made three's and 12 offensive rebounds. He has appeared in seven of the team's eight conference games. Against UTPB he scored eight points and hauled in three rebounds.

3.) Another One: Mario Whitley has gone back-to-back games with a double double for a third time this season. His six double doubles rank second in the Lone Star Conference. Whitley scored ten points and hauled in 12 rebounds in Thursday's loss to UTPB. He is third in the conference with 9.2 rebounds per game and ranks nineteenth in the LSC with 13.4 points per game. The Saginaw, Mich. native is crucial on defense as he has 13 steals and eight blocked shots for the program in 2024-25. Whitley ranks third in the conference playing 34.8 minutes per game.

4.) Hounds and Rams: Angelo State leads the overall series against Eastern New Mexico, 47-38. ENMU has won two-straight games over ASU and three of the last five matchups. Both teams met in the quarterfinals on Eastern's run to the LSC tournament title last March. The 103-84 victory saw Mario Whitley score nine points and add seven rebounds and five assists. Jose Murillo contributed five rebounds, four points, and three blocks in the opening round of the tournament. Murillo has had some success in San Angelo, Texas as he posted his first collegiate double double in the Junell Center back in January 2023 when he scored 16 points and contributed 13 rebounds and three blocks.

5.) Watch Out ASU: Angelo State comes into Saturday's contest with a 9-5 (5-3 LSC) mark. The Rams are guided offensively by Sterling Gaston-Chapman (12.7 ppg) and Carvell Teasett (10.3 ppg). Gaston-Chapman also leads the team in rebounds (70), assists (28), and turnovers (27). The Greyhounds and Rams got a good look at each other to begin the season as both programs played in the crossover in Durango, Colo. Both ENMU and ASU went 1-1 to open the 2024-25 campaign. Angelo State is third in the conference in field goal percentage defense (39.7%). They lead the Lone Star Conference as they limit opponents to just 64.6 points per contest. This year, the Rams have earned conference wins over Texas A&M International, Cameron, Western New Mexico, Sul Ross State, and Texas A&M-Kingsville.