Falcons soar over Hounds

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PORTALES — Eastern New Mexico University’s men got high-scoring Texas-Permian Basin slowed down some on Tuesday. The Greyhounds just couldn’t make enough shots.

Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

ENMU junior guard John Gilliam slips past a Texas-Permian Basin defender on his way to a layup during the first half of Tuesday night's game at Greyhound Arena. Gilliams finished with nine points in the Greyhounds' 81-65 loss to UTPB.

UTPB, averaging a South Central Region-leading 101.6 points coming in, finished with a season scoring low but still had control most of the way in an 81-65 win over cold-shooting ENMU at Greyhound Arena.

Junior guard Malcolm Hill-Bey scored 23 points and senior guard Phadarius Taylor added 20 for the Falcons (5-1), who shot just over 50 percent from the floor and actually slowed the pace in the final 10 minutes en route to the victory.

“I thought the shots were there for both teams,” UTPB coach Andy Newman said, “and we just made some.”

Nobody could really get going for the Hounds (4-4), who have averaged 68 points in their last three games after scoring well over 80 in their first five. Junior forward Lawrence Domingo had 12 points and junior guard Chris Wyms 11 for ENMU, but the Hounds shot just 36 percent from the floor.

“They made shots and we didn’t,” ENMU interim coach Stott Carter said. “And we’ve got to find a way to guard teams that are going to drive the ball.”

The game was tight early. ENMU took a 13-9 lead on a basket by Jason Clardy with 15:34 to go in the half, but the Falcons went on a 21-6 run over the next 7 1/2 minutes and led by double figures over the final 27 minutes of the game.

ENMU, playing its home opener, attempted to slow the Falcons down with a zone defense, and it had some affect. But UTPB was consistently able to get good shots, and did so even late when the Falcons took the air out of the ball.

“We were trying to disrupt their rhythm,” Carter said. “One of the things that hurt was that they got a lot of fast-break points (14) because we couldn’t hit a shot.”

Newman praised the play of Hill-Bey.

“Our little point guard played great,” Newman said. “He shot the ball well (8-of-15, including 3-of-4 from 3-point range) and he pushed the ball well in transition.”

Carter said the Hounds just couldn’t keep up with Taylor and Hill-Bey.

“They’re good players,” he said. “When good players get going, it makes it really hard.”

ENMU returns to action on Friday with a 7 p.m. tipoff against Northern New Mexico at Espanola.