PORTALES, N.M. – It's rivalry week at Steve Loy Family Foundation Arena and (RV) West Texas A&M and No. 19 Eastern New Mexico will meet for the 119th time in series history. Before the Lone Star Conference rivals face off, please read the Starting Five Preview:

1.) Winning on the Road: Eastern New Mexico men's basketball pulled off two wins away from Portales this past weekend. First, ENMU went to Wichita Falls, Texas and earned an 84-60 win over Midwestern State. Both Treyvon Byrd and Jose Murillo guided the Hounds offensively with 18 points. They forced 18 turnovers and made it challenging for MSU to keep pace throughout the evening. The momentum continued for the Greyhounds with a major win over No. 5 Lubbock Christian, 85-80. Murillo had his ninth double-double of the season with 23 points and 13 rebounds. Eastern shot well from the floor going 33-of-63 (52.4%).

2.) All the Honors: Jose Murillo and Mo Austin swept the Lone Star Conference player of the week honors after their performances against MSU and LCU last week. Murillo went 8-of-10 from the floor and grabbed eight rebounds in a 24-point win over the Mustangs. He also added three blocks, a steal, and an assist. Against the Chaps, he posted 23 points and 13 rebounds with a 10-for-15 mark from the floor. Austin earned defensive player of the week honors after a solid outing on both sides of the court. He scored 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting and had a career-high seven steals. In the win over MSU, he also added four rebounds and two assists. In the nationally ranked victory in Lubbock, he posted 11 points, five assists, four steals, and four rebounds. Down the stretch, he converted two free throws to give Eastern a three-point lead with less than 30 seconds remaining.

3.) National Standards: ENMU is ranked in the top 25 polls for the fourth consecutive week. This time, the Greyhounds hold onto the No. 19 mark. It is the first time the Hounds have been ranked four-straight weeks since the team ended the 1969-70 season ranked and opened the first three weeks of the 1970-71 campaign as part of the polls. Eastern continues to be one of the best at running a fast-paced offense as they are seventh nationally with 19.18 fastbreak points per game. The Hounds are ranked second in the Lone Star Conference in rebounds per game (38.35), steals per game (10.5), and field goal percentage (49.3).



4.) The More You Know: A fun question was asked this week … when the last time (if ever) Eastern New Mexico was ranked and the team from Canyon was not ranked. Well, the last time that was the case came on Feb. 11, 1993. Eastern was No. 16 in the polls and WT was outside the rankings. In that matchup, the Greyhounds earned an 82-71 win in Portales. Eastern New Mexico is looking to beat West Texas A&M for the first time since Jan. 26, 2017 when the program held onto a 96-83 result in the Land of Enchantment.

5.) Buff Notes: West Texas A&M men's basketball will take the drive to Steve Loy Family Foundation Arena with a 14-5 (6-3 LSC) record. The Buffs did not do well last weekend as they posted opposite results compared to the Greyhounds. WT fell to Lubbock Christian, 72-57. They were held to 34.4% shooting from the floor against the Chaps. WT dropped a narrow contest to Midwestern State, 70-68. The Mustangs forced the Buffs to shoot just 36.7% from the field. MSU did well outscoring West Texas A&M on bench points, 32-10. The Buffs are a top shooting team across the entire conference. They lead the Lone Star in free throw percentage (78.0), scoring offense (85.7), and three pointers per game (10.4). Not all is perfection for West Texas A&M as they rank 12th in rebounds per game (35.05), scoring defense (76.8), and three point percentage defense (34.4). WT is 13th in the league allowing opponents to make 47.4% of their shots from the floor.