PORTALES, N.M. – Six players in double figures led the offensive attack for Eastern New Mexico in a 73-53 win over in-state foe New Mexico Highlands.
"I thought we played hard. Everybody," said senior guard
Cooper Jackson after the win. "Everyone supports one another. We are just a big family."
Eastern New Mexico shot the ball well from the floor going 24-for-48 (50%), including an impressive 15-of-25 (60%) in the second half alone.
Despite playing just 20 minutes due to foul trouble,
Jose Murillo anchored the offense with 18 points and converted on all four of his free throws.
Austin Abrams,
Cooper Jackson, and
Mika Tangermann finished with 11 points each.
Mo Austin and
Treyvon Byrd added 10.
The Hounds continue to be menaces on defense with Abrams, Jackson, Austin, and Byrd each earned two steals. Another area that ENMU dominated was the paint as they outscored the Cowboys, 32-22.
"His defense and energy was tremendous," said head coach Daven Võ when asked about Jackson.
The senior guard who led the Lone Star Conference in steals per game just a year ago provided well rounded support. He closed out the stat sheet with four assists and three rebounds. He also took smarter shot selections throughout the night comparative to Friday night's loss to Fort Lewis.
Another area where ENMU greatly improved was from the charity stripe.
"These guys came in and shot the ball well from the free throw line," remarked Võ after the game.
ENMU went 18-of-20 from the free throw line compared to 10-of-20 the day prior. Jackson went 5-of-6 from that department.
In total, four different players earned blocks on the night. Those included Tangermann, Abrams, Murillo, and
Derrick Daniels Jr.
Tangermann had an excellent outing for a freshman as he played 25 minutes off the bench. He scored 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting and went a perfect 2-for-2 from behind the arc. He needed to play more minutes than typical as Murillo was in foul trouble for a great portion of the game.
New Mexico Highlands turned the ball over 17 times on the night. Three players scored in double figures for the Cowboys.
Eastern New Mexico will be back in action for the kids day game on Tuesday, November 18. Tip is set for 12 p.m. and admission is free.