Hounds beat Javelinas in division opener

PORTALES — The Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team is on its first winning streak of the season — and just in time to face rival West Texas A&M.

The Greyhounds scored the game’s first 13 points, weathered a tough patch in the middle, and pulled away to a 70-49 victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville on Wednesday night in the Lone Star Conference South Division opener for both teams at Greyhound Arena.

ENMU (6-7) takes a three-game winning streak into Saturday’s 5 p.m. (MST) clash at 19th-ranked WT (13-1), which suffered its first loss on Wednesday night at 12th-ranked Incarnate Word 78-61.

Senior wing Victor Reid led a balanced Hounds attack with 13 points, with five others scoring at least nine.

The Javelinas (5-8) missed their first six shots from the field and didn’t score until senior Antwan Mullins hit a 3-pointer at the 12:28 mark. They eventually trailed 19-3 and 28-9 before going on a run that spanned halftime and got them within 40-38 with 13:50 left.

“I wasn’t happy with the way we defended at the start of the second half,” ENMU coach Andrew Helton said. “But overall, I thought we played a pretty good defensive game.”

After Adam Morris pulled the Javs within two points on a 3-pointer and a fast-break layup, the Hounds scored on five consecutive possessions to re-establish a double-figure lead.

“We had a small stretch where we slowed down,” said junior guard Versia Hodges, who scored a season-best 12 points off the bench with two 3-pointers and 4-of-5 shooting from the floor overall. “At that point, we decided to come back with some energy.”

Guard Stefan Mirabal and 6-foot-7 junior Aaron Edwards added 11 points for ENMU, which shot 51 percent from the field (27-of-53).

“We got a big boost off the bench from Aaron and Versia,” Helton said. “They both played well tonight.”

Mullins, a 5-9 point guard who didn’t start, finished with 14 points for Kingsville while 6-7 senior forward Ryan Wallace added 10.

“We fought hard at the end of the first half (to get back in it), and then we made some adjustments,” Kingsville coach Pete Peterson said. “Edwards had a couple of big baskets (when it got close), and I thought Victor Reid played a heck of a game. He’s a difficult matchup for a lot of people because he can go inside or outside, and he’s also a great passer.”

Now the Hounds will try to keep it going on Saturday.

“We’re just going to prepare the same way we do every day,” said Hodges, a transfer from Mt. San Antonio Junior College in California. “We’ll see what happens at the end of the day.”