Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Senior guard Eze Dike, guarded by Midwestern State freshman guard Jared Washington, scored a team-high 15 points on Thursday night to help the Greyhounds post a 66-51 Lone Star Conference men's basketball victory over the Mustangs at Greyhound Arena.
PORTALES – Winning on the road has been an issue this season for Eastern New Mexico University's men.
Winning at home? So far, no problem.
ENMU kept its record at Greyhound Arena unblemished (10-0) with a 66-51 Lone Star Conference victory over Midwestern State on Thursday night. The Greyhounds used an early 12-0 run to break away from the game's lone tie and were never seriously challenged.
ENMU (13-8, 8-7 LSC) led by as much as 22 points in the opening half, and by 30 (55-25) with just under 13 minutes remaining in the game.
It was a key game for positioning in the upcoming LSC tournament. The Hounds also evened the score after losing at MSU 56-53 in early January.
"The game at their place was one that really bothered me," ENMU men's coach Brent Owen said. "We lost a lead late in the second half, and it was (a game) I felt we should've taken."
Senior guard Eze Dike had three of the Hounds' six 3-pointers and led the team in scoring with 15 points, while junior forward Jahcoree Ealy, sophomore forward Errol White and freshman forward Blazej Czerniewicz each added 12. ENMU outscored the Mustangs 22-11 in points off turnovers and had a 40-26 advantage in points in the paint.
Owen was also pleased to see his team with an above-average 15 assists for the game.
"The thing that stands out to me is that our assists are going up," he said. "I just think it shows that we play together, and that's what won us the game."
Czerniewicz scored 10 of his points in the opening stanza, which ended with the Hounds comfortably in front 37-19.
Midwestern State (9-12, 7-9), coming off a 92-86 win at home against West Texas A&M, got only 16 points from its starters and shot just 29 percent in this one, including 1-of-17 from beyond the arc. ENMU held the Mustangs to 30 percent from the floor in the earlier matchup.
Their only 3, by reserve freshman guard Logan Epes midway through the second half, was enough to extend the program's streak to 641 games with a trifecta, dating to the 2001-02 campaign.
Freshman guard Jared Washington was the Mustangs' lone double-figure scorer with 18 points despite going 4-of-16 from the floor. He made 10-of-11 from the foul line.
The Hounds hosted Cameron on Saturday afternoon. This week, the entertain LSC contenders West Texas A&M on Thursday night and Lubbock Christian on Saturday afternoon.
