Late 8-0 run gives Eastern road win in Abilene

ABILENE, Texas — Jolen Montoya’s jumper with 1:02 left put Eastern New Mexico University ahead for good and kicked off a game-ending 8-0 run that gave the Greyhounds an 85-77 Lone Star Conference South Division men’s victory over Abilene Christian Thursday night.

Senior forward Jamaal Hunnicutt posted a double-double with 20 points and 17 rebounds, leading five players in double figures for ENMU (9-13, 2-5 South). Junior guard Reggie Wallace added 15 points, Montoya had 13 and sophomore forward Chad Donnell and senior guard Irshaun Pinckney both finished with 12 points.

Donnell’s total was a career high.

Pinckney, seeing his first action since Jan. 15 due to a hairline fracture in his leg, played 28 minutes. He had missed the Hounds’ previous eight games.

Center Hakim Rasul also posted a double-double with 29 points and 17 rebounds for ACU (8-15, 1-7). Senior guard David Baxter added 17 points.

Rasul’s two free throws tied the score 77-77 with 1:28 left, but the Wildcats did not score the rest of the way.

After Montoya’s basket gave ENMU the lead, Rasul missed inside and Hunnicutt grabbed the rebound. He was fouled and made both shots for a four-point lead.

Baxter then misfired for the Wildcats, and Hunnicutt was again fouled after grabbing the rebound and made both shots with 27 seconds to go. Wallace’s two free throws with 16 seconds left completed the scoring.

ACU, which lost its fifth game in a row, dominated much of the early going. After Donnell scored off an assist from Wallace for the game’s first points, the Wildcats ran off the next six points capped by a 3-pointer from Baxter with less than two minutes gone.

ACU built its lead to 15-9 and 20-13 before the Hounds began to creep back. They tied the score 25-25 when Wallace converted a Wildcats turnover into a layup, and took their second lead of the night 29-27 on a rebound basket by Donnel at the 5:56 mark.

ENMU ran off a 6-0 spurt for a 35-30 lead and the Hounds were in front 38-34 at halftime.