PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico men's basketball (18-3, 11-2 LSC) is in a three-way tie for first place in the Lone Star Conference after pulling off an 87-76 road win over Oklahoma Christian on Thursday night.

"Getting a road win is great," said head coach Daven Võ in a postgame interview with Doc Elder. "Our guys kept playing basketball. We need to get some more stops. Not super happy with how many times we turned over the ball – 14 turnovers too much."

Both teams started tonight's contest on fire. The first six three-point shots from the combined sides went in. That meant ENMU started the game 4-for-4 from beyond the arc and OC returned the favor by going 2-for-2 before either squad missed a shot from deep range. For a fun comparison, Eastern has seven games with less than four total three-pointers.

Cooper Jackson was a star on the stat sheet for the Greyhounds. The Lawrence, Kan. native tied a school/career record in total steals. The sneaky guard posted seven steals all within the first 25 minutes of the game. Although he did not earn the solo lead for most steals in a game, he showcased why he is a top contender for conference defensive player of the year.

Jackson has also secured double digit scoring in a fifth consecutive game as he connected for 21 points. He went 7-for-10, including a 2-for-3 mark from deep range. The senior also went 5-for-5 from the charity stripe, which is the most makes without a miss in a game this season for Jackson.

Both Treyvon Byrd and Austin Abrams had 14 points each. Byrd was 6-for-7 and made his only attempt from three on the night. Abrams struggled from beyond the perimeter, but his play at the rim helped him secure 10+ points in a ninth straight contest.

Rebounding can be a key indicator on if a team controlled the matchup. Tonight, it proved to go heavily in Eastern New Mexico's favor. The Greyhounds won the battle convincingly, 37-21. Mo Austin and Jose Murillo led ENMU with seven rebounds each. Jackson and Byrd also managed to scrap for rebounds as they both posted six rebounds.

OC began the game with a brief lead over the opening four minutes of play. That is when ENMU took control and led the rest of the way. A pair of 5-0 runs and a 7-0 spread in consecutive order helped separate the contest and keep Eastern ahead.

"Our guys are fun to be around," said Võ. "It's helpful when they play hard and they are ready to go."

Tonight's win is a little extra special for head coach Daven Võ who had several family and friends make the effort to come support the Greyhounds. The program has now improved to 9-0 in true road games and hold an 11-0 record in all games outside of Steve Loy Family Foundation Arena.

Eastern New Mexico will now look ahead to a Saturday afternoon matchup with Cameron. Tip is set for 2 p.m. MT in Lawton, Okla. Eastern is 10-18 in games played against the Aggies in the Sooner state.