PORTALES, N.M. – Eastern New Mexico men's basketball holds the longest win streak in the Lone Star Conference after a win over Oklahoma Christian on Thursday night. Now, they get set to take on Cameron in Lawton, Okla. on Saturday afternoon. Before the Greyhounds and Aggies go to battle, please take a look at the Starting Five Preview:
1.) Grab The Win: An 87-76 victory over Oklahoma Christian bettered Eastern New Mexico's overall record to 18-3 (11-2 LSC). ENMU stayed true to their game shooting 35-for-65 (53.8%) from beyond the arc.
Cooper Jackson (21),
Treyvon Byrd (14),
Austin Abrams (14), and
Jose Murillo (13) all scored in double figures in the game. OC did not compare to ENMU offensively as they only connected on 25-of-55 (45.5%) from the field. Eastern won the game inside as they took the 54-26 edge in points in the paint.
2.) Above The Rest: Eastern New Mexico sits atop the Lone Star Conference in fast break points per game (17.81) and are 14th nationally in the category. ENMU is guided by
Jose Murillo who is first in the LSC in blocks (34) and field goal percentage (64.4%). Murillo is second in the league with 9.2 rebounds per contest.
Cooper Jackson ranks first in the conference and second nationally with 70 total steals. He also boasts the ninth most assists (75) among players in the LSC.
Mo Austin is second in the league with a 2.10 assist/turnover ratio and is fifth overall with 86 total assists.
3.) Breaking History: ENMU is currently on a three-game winning streak over Cameron. The overall series is tied 29-29. Tomorrow's matchup will determine who will take the overall series lead. It's been since 1993 when Eastern has last held a lead in the history between the two squads. The Aggies hold a 18-10 advantage over the Greyhounds in games played in Lawton. The two programs met just two months ago as ENMU pulled away with a 95-69 home win. A win tomorrow will tie a series record fourth-straight victory for Eastern against Cameron.
4.) Aggies Beware: Cameron comes into the game with a 6-15 (3-10 LSC) mark. They are scoring 76.3 points per game, but hold a -9.9 scoring margin. Eight of their losses have come by 10+ points. They are coming off a 87-67 loss to West Texas A&M. CU allowed five Buffs to score in double figures, including a 15-for-30 mark from behind the arc. Cameron had three players score 15+ points. They lost the rebound battle, 33-27. The Aggies had 10 points on second chance opportunities and finished the night with five offensive rebounds. They struggled shooting from the floor and only made 24-of-60 (40%) from the floor.
5.) Detail The Hounds: Eastern New Mexico is averaging 82.3 points per game and making 49.8% of their shots from the floor. ENMU is dominating in the paint this season and is led by senior forward
Jose Murillo who boasts a team-high 16.2 points per game while leading the conference with a 64.4% field goal percentage.
Cooper Jackson is leading the team with 28 made three-pointers. He is posting 13.5 points per game and is second in the nation with 70 total steals.
Mo Austin is adding ENMU with 15.0 points per outing and has a team-high 86 assists.