LUBBOCK, Texas – No. 24 Eastern New Mexico men's basketball is now tied for second in the Lone Star Conference after a 85-80 win over No. 5 Lubbock Christian at the Rip Griffin Center on Saturday afternoon.

"It was a one-possession game and we came out with the victory," said head coach Daven Võ after the win. "Our guys are really excited with all of the fans who showed up."

A good contingent of Greyhound faithful witnessed the first ranked win for the program since the team took down then-No.19 MSU Denver during the 2024-25 season. Eastern trailed early by as many as six points, but quickly found a way to get both bigs involved offensively.

Jose Murillo battled tough all game long as he finished with his ninth double-double of the season scoring 23 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. LCU made it difficult around the rim for Murillo, but he stayed grounded and shot 10-for-15 from the floor.
Mika Tangermann was also effective in his 28 minutes of action. He ended the day with eight points, and a pair of three-point makes.

It was a homecoming game for one Greyhound in particular. Assistant coach Lloyd Daniels played three years for LCU and served on the coaching staff prior to his time in Portales.

"It was weird coming in being on the visitor's side and walking down those steps. Seeing coach Duncan and Imes who I love to death on the other side feels weird, but once we step on the court we both want to win," said Daniels when reflecting on the win. "We're both competitors."

ENMU shot better than their season average from beyond the arc with a notable 7-of-14 from three-point range. Cooper Jackson, the team's leader in three-point makes, went 3-for-4 from that department. Jackson was impressive in a game that saw the guards distribute the ball well. He scored 19 points and finished with five assists and three steals.

Both teams proved why they came into today's contest with the best shooting percentages in the conference. LCU went 32-for-56 (57.1%), but only had six offensive rebounds. They posted 10 second chance points. ENMU was 33-of-63 (52.4%). The grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and totaled 18 second chance points. Both the Greyhounds and Chaps shot above 60% in the second half.

"These kids are so tough, so gritty," said Daniels. "We coach them hard. They listen … these kids are awesome."

The second half was pure cinema. Eastern began the frame with a slight 39-37 edge. By the first media timeout, ENMU was up by 13 points (55-42). That would be the largest margin for the Hounds the rest of the way. LCU got within two possessions (71-65) with 6:42 remaining. The game remained within that distance until the Chaps saw the difference dwindle to 79-78 in favor of Eastern with less than two minutes. ENMU never gave up the lead and closed out the gritty win after a pair of free throw makes from Mo Austin and Austin Abrams.

Four players scored in double figures for Eastern New Mexico. Jose Murillo (23 pts), Cooper Jackson (19 pts), Austin Abrams (13 pts), and Mo Austin (11 pts) were credited to those double digit efforts.

Turnovers played the biggest role in this contest. Lubbock Christian came into the matchup giving up 11.2 turnovers per game and ranked in the top 40 in the nation in that category. Eastern New Mexico was rated outside the top 100 giving up 12.6 per outing. The story proved different on Saturday as ENMU only committed seven turnovers and LCU gave up possession 16 times. There was a 20-point difference in scoring off turnovers with the 23-3 edge going to Eastern.

One of the key battles to watch all day was between Antonio Pusateri and Jose Murillo. Pusateri earned his 11th double-double of the year with 24 points and 10 rebounds. He was effective from the field going 11-of-13. In the first half alone, he went a perfect 7-for-7. Murillo stayed consistent in the paint and had several good looks to attack the basket and try to draw fouls.

ENMU controlled the duel in the paint with a 50-36 edge. The Greyhounds also controlled the pace of play as they outscored LCU with points in transition, 13-2.

Eastern New Mexico will now prepare to host top 25 ranked West Texas A&M next Thursday. Both teams are tied for second in the Lone Star Conference with DBU sitting one game ahead. Tip is slated for 7:30 p.m. MT on January 22.