Hornets turn back Hounds

Staff report

CANYON, Texas — The good news on Friday for the Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team is that it posted a season-low in points allowed.

Unfortunately for the Greyhounds, they also struggled to score, finishing with a season-low total in a 74-63 loss to Emporia State in West Texas A&M’s Thanksgiving Classic.

Prior to Friday, the Hounds (3-3) had not scored fewer than 72 points nor allowed fewer than 88 this season.

ENMU, averaging 88 points coming in, shot just 30 percent from the field (18-of-60) and made only 3-of-17 shots from 3-point range.

Sophomore guard Jay Temaat came off the bench to score 21 points for the Hornets, leading four ESU players in double figures. Senior guard Perryonte Smith contributed 12 points off the bench, while starters Terrence Moore and Tyler Jordan finished with 12 and 10, respectively.

For the Hounds, junior forward Lawrence Domingo posted team highs of 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks, while junior guards John Gilliam and Chris Wyms chipped in 13 and 11 points, respectively.

ENMU trailed all the way except for a 2-2 tie in the first minute. Emporia went on a 20-8 run to open a 32-18 lead with 8 1/2 minutes to go in the half.

The Hounds managed to get within 34-27 with five minutes left until intermission on a 3-pointer by senior Seth Bailey, playing his first basketball game after earning Lone Star Conference linebacker of the year honors in football, but the Hornets led 41-30 at halftime.

Emporia broke the game open with a 10-0 run, featuring two 3-pointers by Smith and another by Temaat, for a 64-44 cushion midway through the second half. The Hounds pared the margin to nine points twice in the final 65 seconds before ESU closed it out.

The teams combined for 62 fouls and shot 71 free throws. The Hornets had just 45 field goal attempts, making 19, and went 9-for-21 from long range.

Bailey played 22 minutes off the bench and finished with five points and three rebounds. The Hounds lost despite a season-low five turnovers.

ENMU completes play in the weekend event with a 1:30 p.m. (MST) contest today against Harding.