Angelo holds on against Hounds

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Eastern New Mexico University’s men have shown they can probably compete with anybody in the Lone Star Conference.

Over the weekend, though, the Greyhounds came up just a little short.

After a three-point loss at Texas-Permian Basin on Thursday night, the Hounds nearly made up an 18-point deficit in the final three minutes on Saturday before falling to 11th-ranked Angelo State 88-85.

Down 80-62, ENMU (8-4, 4-2 LSC) hit the Rams with a game-ending 23-8 blitz to make it interesting.

Hounds coach Brent Owen pulled out all the stops to try and bail this one out.

“I’m proud of that group that came in,” he said. “They had great energy, and forced some turnovers and hit some 3s.”

Free throws by senior guard Willie Guy and junior guard Kendrick Delahoussaye were enough to secure the win for the Rams (12-1, 7-0), who survived a 3-pointer at the buzzer by ENMU senior guard/forward Jahcoree Ealy in claiming their 11th consecutive win.

Six-foot-9 senior forward Trey Farrer shot 9-of-12 from the field and scored a season-best 21 points for ASU despite being limited to 22 minutes because of foul trouble. He also had five of Angelo’s season-high 16 offensive rebounds.

Senior guard Kevin Godwin added four 3-pointers and 20 points to go with seven assists, while 6-10 senior forward D.J. Basey had a personal-best 17 points. The Rams are now 19-0 at home under second-year coach Vinay Patel.

Ealy, the LSC’s leading scorer, finished with four 3s and 26 points to go with seven assists for the Hounds. Sophomore guard Junior Hodnett came off the bench to add three treys and 15 points for ENMU, which went 10-of-20 from beyond the arc.

“That was probably the best I’ve seen him play defensively in three years,” Owen said of Hodnett. “His defensive intensity led to some success on the offensive end.”

Senior guards Lyron Bennett and Greg Johnson added 13 and 12 points, respectively.

Angelo State 66. ENMU 55 (women) – ASU kept the Greyhounds winless in LSC play, scoring the final 14 points of the first half to erase a five-point deficit.

A 10-2 run, fueled by four points each from senior guard/forward Deja Adrian and senior guard Vanessa Oduah, gave ENMU a 13-11 advantage late in the opening stanza. The Hounds then scored six of the first points in the second frame for a 19-14 margijn before the Rambelles (11-5, 5-1) held them scoreless over the final seven minutes of the half.

ENMU (4-8, 0-6) pulled into a 38-38 tie on a deep 3-pointer by freshman guard Jaz Salon late in the third, but the Rambelles closed out the period on a 7-2 run. ASU led 55-43 midway through the fourth and held on after the Hounds closed to 58-53 in the late going.

Senior forward Tayjanna McGhee-Pleasant had 20 points and nine rebounds for Angelo, while junior forward Madeline Stephens delivered 16 points and nine boards and 6-4 sophomore center Keniah Williams added 11 points and five blocks. ASU shot 47 percent from the floor to 35 percent for ENMU and dominated the glass 43-27.

Junior forward Ishuana Hunter, playing just her second game since coming eligible at the semester, led the Hounds with 19 points and seven rebounds, while Oduah added 15 points and Salon had 11.

ENMU squads begin four-game homestands on Thursday night against Cameron at Greyhound Arena, then host Midwestern State on Saturday afternoon.