ENMU hosting D-II champion Chaps

PORTALES — The Eastern New Mexico women’s basketball program has faced some tall tasks this season. So far, none of them are quite as tall as a national champion.

That will change Thursday, as the Greyhounds hope to score a huge upset in the Lone Star Conference and regional picture.

As for the biggest concern ENMU coach Josh Prock has on the Chaps, who bring a 14-0 record into the 5:30 p.m. contest at Greyhound Arena, he’s not picky.

“To be honest? All areas,” Prock said. “They do so many things well. They shoot well, they move the ball well. They’re very unselfish.

“I know our players are looking forward to the challenge.”

The ENMU Athletic Department has certainly done its part to boost attendance for the Thursday doubleheader, which features the men facing the Chaps at around 7:30 p.m.

First, the department introduced a new pricing policy that lowered ticket prices from $8 for men’s games and $6 for women’s games to a $5 flat admission for a doubleheader. Second, Thursday will be a military and first responder appreciation night, meaning military personnel and local first responders with ID along with their dependents will be granted free access to both games.

If the Greyhounds (10-4, 4-4 LSC) can score a win over LCU and follow it up with a home win over Angelo State, they’ll jump from fifth in the division to third. But the Rambelles (8-4, 5-3) won’t be any pushover either in their 2 p.m Saturday affair.

The Rambelles go as post De’Anira Moore does. She’s fourth in the LSC at 17.4 points and seventh in rebounds at 8.0 boards a night.

“They have one of the best posts in the league in Moore,” Prock said. “She’s very skilled, she’s very strong down low. They’ve got kids who can shoot it from the outside, which gives you a concern.”

The Greyhound women are currently eighth in the South Central Regional rankings, which include the Lone Star and Rocky Mountain Athletic conferences.

Men

The roll continues for the Greyhound men, who swept Western New Mexico and Texas-Permian Basin on the road last week and have won five of their last seven since starting the season 0-6.

Junior Devin Pullum had 26 points Saturday for the Greyhounds (5-8, 5-3), who broke a 47-all halftime tie with a 17-1 run then had to hold off a late rally from the Falcons.

Should the Greyhounds pull off wins over the Chaps Thursday and Angelo State on Saturday, they could move all the way up to second place in the division, provided West Texas A&M beats Angelo State Thursday night.

Attempts to contact ENMU coach Tres Segler were unsuccessful.