SILVER CITY, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico men's basketball is the unofficial champion of the Land of Enchantment after earning its fifth win over a New Mexico-based collegiate program. The Greyhounds beat Western New Mexico on the road, 97-70.

"The guys were focused and ready to go," responded head coach Daven Võ when asked about the win on the radio postgame show.

Senior guard Cougar Downing seemed unstoppable in the win as he scored 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He also made 5-of-7 attempts from three. The Kansas native came into the game with the best three point shooting percentage (45%) in the conference and continues to climb the ladder in national rankings.

"That guy (Cougar) is working really hard," said Võ after the game. "He is working his butt off."

The work Downing is putting in is coming on both ends. He added three rebounds, three steals, and two assists. In his lone season with the Hounds, his teammates are also noticing the impact he brings to the program.

"Cougar started making shots and opened a lot for us," remarked senior Mario Whitley when asked about the early assistance from the senior guard.

Downing hit the first shot of the night from beyond the arc to open the flood gates and that is when ENMU started attacking the paint. The Hounds finished the night with a whopping 46 points scored in the paint.

"We were focusing on attacked the rim," said senior Cougar Downing after the victory. "None of us were selfish-minded. We made sure we were all locked in."

Three other Hounds scored in double figures in a contest where ENMU outscored their season average. Mario Whitley had 18 points and came up one rebound shy of a double double. He added two blocks, two steals, and two assists. Jose Murillo battled through double teams and tough contact to score 16 points and haul in eight rebounds. The conference's leader in blocks added two to his repertoire. Off the bench, Jaden Clarke impressed with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

The Greyhounds did play without one of their key players for a majority of the game. Freshman Mo Austin earned the start against WNMU, but came off the floor after a slight injury. The Pueblo, Colo. could have come into the contest, but the game was already under control according to head coach Daven Võ.

Eastern New Mexico leaned on three other guards to step up without Austin in the rotation. Reigning LSC defensive player of the week Cooper Jackson played 22 minutes and finished with seven points and tied a season-high with five rebounds. Kevin Rankin had a season-high 17 minutes of action and finished with four points and a season-best six rebounds. Austin Abrams had a nice outing with eight points, six rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He played just 12 minutes tonight.

In total, 14 different Hounds played in the contest. Freshman forward Brandon Kehres showcased his energy on the defensive end as he had six rebounds on a night where ENMU outrebounded its opponent, 49-32.

The Greyhounds will now face a tough test Saturday as they match up with a program that had beaten them earlier this season. Eastern travels to Alpine, Texas for a game with new conference foe, Sul Ross State. Tip on Saturday is slated for 2 p.m. MT.