Hounds post 93-84 win over No. 19 Metro State

Metro State finally met its match in the Lone Star Conference.

Coming in at 3-0 with all three coming against LSC opponents, the 19th-ranked Roadrunners saw that streak end on Wednesday night with a 93-84 loss at the hands of Eastern New Mexico University at Steve Loy Arena.

Metro had previously beaten Sul Ross State (89-61), Texas-Tyler (62-59) and Texas A&M-Kingsville (88-77).

Five players were in double figures for the Greyhounds (3-1), including junior guard Jaden Clarke with 23 points and junior guard Cooper Jackson with 14. Others included senior forward Mario Whitley (16), freshman guard Cougar Downing (15) and junior forward Jose Murillo (13).

"They elevate our team," first-year ENMU coach Daven Vo said of the contributions by Clarke (6-for-10 shooting, 3-for-3 on 3-pointers and 8-for-8 from the line) and Jackson. "If it wouldn't have had those two, we probably wouldn't have had the lead we did and maybe we don't win that game."

It was ENMU's first win over a ranked opponent since beating Dallas Baptist on the road in January. The Hounds led 49-28 at halftime and fought off a furious rally by the Denver-based Roadrunners, who lost to ENMU for the first time in five all-time meetings..

"I'm so proud of our guys for overcoming a lot of adversity," Vo said.

Three significant runs turned the trick for the Hounds. They erased a 7-4 deficit with a 13-0 run, opening a 49-28 halftime lead and a 10-0 surge after Metro closed to within a point midway through the second stanza.

They led by 15 with under two minutes left before the Roadrunners put down a trio of 3-pointers the rest of the way.

"We knew Metro was a very good team," Whitley said. "We knew we had to punch them first. It was a big turnaround from last week (a 133-33 win over Navajo Tech), playing the No. 19 team in the country. We had a great week of practice, and we were locked in."

With the score 66-65, Clarke started ENMU's late run with two free throws and a 3. Whitley said Clarke made a big difference in the outcome.

"Jordan can do that every day," Whitley said. "It's not the last we're going to see of Jordan Clarke."

Senior forward Caleb McGill led the Roadrunners with 21 points and nine rebounds, shooting 5-of-5 from 3 and 7-of-10 overall. He scored Metro's first 11 points of the second half, including three 3-point shots.

Senior forward Brayden Carter added 17 points for the Roadrunners, while senior guard Quave Propst-Allison and junior guard K.G. Garrett tallied 12 apiece. Propst-Allison picked up his second technical and fifth personal foul with four minutes left and the game still in the balance.

ENMU faced perhaps an even stiffer challenge on Saturday when it hosted its LSC opener against West Texas A&M. A six-game homestand concludes with a non-league outing against Chandler, Ariz.-based Justice College on Nov. 30 and conference tilts with Oklahoma Christian on Dec. 5 and Cameron on Dec. 7.

ENMU 65, Adams State 62 (Tuesday) – At Steve Loy Arena, the Greyhounds improved to 4-1 with a narrow victory over the Alamosa, Colo.-based Grizzlies (3-3).

Senior forward Ishuana Hunter came off the bench for a season-best 20 points, adding seven rebounds and a personal-best six steals in 30 minutes. Nine others scored, but Hunter was the only ENMU player in double-digits, although senior guard Jayla Smith was close to a double-double with nine points and nine rebounds.

ENMU ended the opening quarter on a 13-0 run that turned a six-point deficit into a 19-12 advantage. The Hounds held the Grizzlies to just 19 first-half points.

After Adams State closed to 55-53 early in the fourth, ENMU went on a 12-0 surge to put the contest out of reach.

ENMU overcame 31 turnovers, holding the Grizzlies to 36 percent from the field and posted a 43-11 edge in bench points. Freshman forward Taejhuan Hill led three Adams State players in double digits with 16 points.

ENMU faced WT in the first half of Saturday's twin bill, and returns to action on Saturday at home against Oklahoma Panhandle State.