PORTALES, N.M. –
Cooper Jackson sunk a buzzer beater for No. 18 Eastern New Mexico men's basketball Thursday night to secure a win over No. 24 DBU at Steve Loy Family Foundation Arena.
With 2.7 seconds remaining in the contest and the score tied at 73-all, Jackson sunk the game clincher from the wing nearest the ENMU bench. The ball soared through the air and hit nothing but net. The crowd went wild and Jackson's teammates swarmed him with embraces.
"I knew there was only one play," said
Cooper Jackson with confidence when asked about the game winner. "I looked at coach Vo and said 'give me the ball.'"
Jackson got the ball and moved Eastern New Mexico into a tie for first place in the Lone Star Conference with a 16-3 (9-2 LSC) overall record.
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An energetic and lively crowd witnessed the heroics on the Greyhounds home court. Just over one thousand stayed till the final buzzer and ended up circling the horseshoe shaped arena to congratulate the team on their victory.
"I'm so happy for the city," repeated head coach Daven Võ after the breathtaking win. "They show up. Thanks goes to them."
Eastern New Mexico led for 39:28 of the game, while DBU never held the lead.
All five Greyhound starters scored in double figures. Jackson led ENMU with 19 points and went 3-for-6 from behind the arc.
Down low, the Hounds were dominant. Eastern outscored the Patriots, 44-34, in the paint. Senior forward
Jose Murillo tallied another double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Murillo consistently battled double/triple team coverage all night long. Despite the rigorous battles, he stayed effective by going 7-for-9 from the field.
The story going into the game was focused on DBU leading the nation in steals and Eastern sitting directly behind the Patriots in conference rankings. ENMU won the steals battle tonight, 12-7.
Mo Austin was all over the floor tonight. The sophomore guard tallied an impressive five steals in the win. He added 12 points, five rebounds, and four assists. The speedy guard helped the Greyhounds outscore DBU in fastbreak opportunities, 19-8.
Treyvon Byrd started the game for ENMU. It was the senior's first start of the 2026 calendar year. The North Carolina native had 12 points, six rebounds, and an assist. Byrd was crucial in helping Eastern break DBU's press and setup scoring chances.
Austin Abrams continues to be one of the most consistent scorers for the Hounds. The Maryland native did not start the game on a strong note, but kept his composure and finished with 10 points, two assists, and two steals.
Eastern continues to be one of the best shooting teams in the Lone Star Conference. They made 31-of-60 (51.7%) from the floor and made 46.7% of their attempts from deep range.
Eastern New Mexico's homestand continues Saturday afternoon with a matchup against UT Tyler. The upset-minded Patriots are coming off a win over West Texas A&M in Canyon. The game on Jan. 31 is set to tip at 3 p.m.