PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico men's basketball travels to one of the toughest teams in the Lone Star Conference Saturday afternoon. Before ENMU takes on No. 12 DBU, please take a look at the Starting Five:
1.) Win As A Team: One of the best aspects of Eastern New Mexico's game is that they share the scoring responsibilities fairly evenly. Six different Hounds average 10+ points per game and five student-athletes scored in double figures in Thursday's win over UT Tyler.
Mario Whitley had a season-high 26 points in the 87-75 victory over the home side. Whitley was joined by
Cougar Downing (16 pts),
Mo Austin (11 pts),
Jose Murillo (10 pts), and
Jaden Clarke (10 pts). Eastern was quite effective from the floor as they made 55.7% of their shots. The program has shot above 50% in four-straight games.
2.) Open From Deep: ENMU does not live and die by the three-point shot. Instead, the team tends to play down low and try to win the battle in the paint. Thursday proved to be a little different as the Greyhounds sank nine three point shots and were outscored in the paint by their opponent for just the second time this season. It wasn't all bad as they only lost the paint battle, 40-38, and still managed to work offensively with their "bigs."
Mario Whitley surprised the stat sheet as he hit four three point shots despite only having three made three pointers over the last 15 contests. Guards
Cougar Downing and
Mo Austin also had a pair of three point makes on the night.
3.) Double Down: Mario Whitley is still tied for the lead in the Lone Star Conference for total double doubles. His 26-point, 12-rebound performance was his ninth double double of the season. He now ranks in the top ten in the nation in that category. The Saginaw, Mich. native connected on ten shots from the floor while making both of his shots from the charity stripe. Whitley played well defensively as he picked up a steal and a block. The senior forward will look to follow his strong play as he has scored 21.7 points and 11.7 rebounds per game over the last three contests.
4.) Aggressive Hounds: Eastern New Mexico ranks in the top ten nationally in five key statistical figures. ENMU is second in the nation with a +10.5 rebound margin. They won the total rebound battle (38-30) over UT Tyler Thursday night. Eastern is fourth nationally with 22.39 fastbreak points per game. They have had 18 in each of the last two games. The program also ranks fourth with a +18.7 scoring margin. ENMU's recent hot shooting streak has lifted them to seventh in the nation with a 51.6% shooting percentage. Lastly, the Hounds are tenth nationally posting 91.8 points per contest. In 2023-24, the team finished the year averaging 90.0 points per outing.
5.) Experience Is Key: One of the essential aspects of No. 12 DBU's game is their experience factor. Their top scorers are both fifth year players. Ricky Lujan is averaging 16.8 points per game while Cameron Kahn is posting 14.7 points per outing. DBU is 0-2 in games where Lujan scores less than ten points. Two redshirt junior DI transfer student-athletes are also playing key roles for the Patriots. Xavion Brown leads the team in rebounds (129), assists (86), steals (46), and blocks (24). Drew Calderon is a three point shooting threat as he has connected on a deep shot in all, but two games for DBU this season. The final key player to note for the Patriots is a fourth year player Jaden Shelvin. After redshirting his first season, he has appeared in 70 games for his team over the last three years. Shelvin has earned the starting nod in each of the last ten games for DBU. He is a tough player who distributes the ball well and can create turnovers turning into fastbreak opportunities. The program leads the nation in turnovers forced and all five projected starters will be crucial in Saturday's contest.
