Buffs thump Hounds

Staff report

CANYON, Texas — After junior forward Chaunce Hill scored the game’s first four points, there wasn’t much else for the Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team to write home about on Saturday.

Rival West Texas A&M went on a 25-4 run at that point and the Buffaloes were in complete charge en route to a 97-64 Lone Star Conference victory.

Sophomore David Chavlovich scored 25 points and sophomore Jordan Evans added 19 for the Buffs (17-7, 5-3 LSC), who extended their winning streak to five games. Chavlovich (seven) and Evans (three) combined for 10 of WT’s 13 3-point baskets in the contest.

Sophomore guard Ladarius Stewart led the Hounds with a season-high 24 points, shooting 10-of-17 from the floor, but the rest of the squad went a combined 16-for-47. The Hounds also missed 13 of their 20 free throws, and no one else had more than seven points.

ENMU’s starters played only a combined 82 minutes in the game, scoring 16 points. The bench compiled 118 minutes and combined for 48 points.

Hill scored on a baseline jumper and a follow-slam in the opening moments before the Buffs ran off the next 13 points. Evans had all three of his 3s in the early run which made it 25-8 near the midpoint of the opening half. WT led 46-19 with four minutes to go in the half and led 56-31 at the break.

WT continued to gradually extend its lead after the intermission and led by as much as 37 points with just over 11 minutes remaining.

The Buffs shot 55 percent from the floor in the first half, including 9-of-15 from beyond the arc, and already had three players in double figures at that point. WT finished the game at 54 percent from the floor (32-of-59), and 13-of-25 from beyond the arc.

Sophomore guard Jerrod Walton added 12 points off the bench for the Buffs, while freshman guard Ryan Quaid scored 10.