Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
TYLER, Texas – Senior forward Mario Whitley posted his ninth double-double of the season and third in a row as Eastern New Mexico University’s men posted an 87-75 Lone Star Conference victory over Texas-Tyler on Thursday night.
Whitley scored a season-best 26 points, shooting 10-of-18 from the floor and 4-of-7 from 3-point distance, and also had team highs of 12 rebounds and seven assists while leading five Greyhounds in double figures.
Senior guard Cougar Downing added 16 points, freshman guard Mo Austin 11 and junior forward Jose Murrillo and junior guard/forward Jaden Clarke 10 apiece for the Hounds (12-6, 7-5 LSC), who shot a blistering 56 percent from the floor (34-of-61) and converted 9-of-18 from 3-point range.
Senior guard Dontrell Hewlett finished with 24 points in 27 minutes for Tyler (7-11, 4-8 LSC), while reserves Sam Phipps (16) and Hudson Anderson (11) also scored in double digits. Tyler’s bench produced 44 points, but the starters other than Hewlett contributed only seven.
Downing went 6-of-7 from the field with a pair of 3-pointers for 14 points in the first half as the Hounds opened a 38-33 lead at the break. The Hounds led 7-2 early, then watched the Patriots rally for a 21-18 advantage midway through the half on a 3-point shot by Machar.
Down 25-22 with just over seven minutes left, the Hounds went back in front with a 9-0 blitz featuring 3-pointers from Austin, sophomore Alex Alfaro and Downing. Another 3 by Dowing stretched the lead to 10 points, but the Patriots scored the final five points before the break to pull to 38-33.
UTT extended its run to 10 when play resumed, tying it on a tip-in by Hewlett. Tyler led 62-60 midway through the half, but baskets by Whitley, Byrd, Austin and Jaden Clake pushed the Hounds ahead by six with under seven minutes left, and they never relinquished the lead after that.
ENMU finished with 22 assists on its 29 baskets, and held the Patriots to 43 percent shooting, including just 38 percent in the opening stanza.
Texas-Tyler 75 , ENMU 59 (women) – The Patriots, ranked No. 9 in NCAA Division II, erased ENMU’s only lead (4-2) with a 9-0 blitz and never looked back in running their winning streak to eight games.
UTT (16-2, 11-1 LSC) shot 61 percent (17-of-28) en route to a 42-26 halftime lead. The Greyhounds (12-6, 7-5) got as close as 51-40 late in the third canto after 3-pointers by sophomore guard Jaz Salon and junior guard Nataya Lockett, but the Patriots ended the frame on a 6-0 run, getting two free throws from junior guard Meagan Mendazona with one second left in the period.
Mendazona added two more charity shots to make it 60-40 with 8:37 remaining. The Hounds countered with an 8-0 charge that included a 3-point play by Lockett and a 3-point basket by sophomore guard Daci Smith, but they were unable to get any closer.
Mendazona finished with 20 points, going 6-for-9 from the field with two 3-pointers and converting 6-of-7 free throws, while senior forward Lovisa Hevinder added three 3s and 17 points junior guard/forward Mileina Sablinskaite chipped in 14. The Patriots finished with a season-best 52 percent from the field (26-of-50) and converted 13-of-15 foul shots.
Lockett led the Hounds with 21 points – her third consecutive game in the 20s and fourth of the season – and added eight rebounds, three assists and a block. Senior guard Jayla Smith added 15 points in 18 minutes before fouling out.
Tyler held ENMU to 34 percent shooting (20-of-58) while the Hounds were 8-of-9 from the foul line – all by Lockett. The Patriots had a 24-10 advantage in points off turnovers and a 32-18 margin on points in the paint.
ENMU squads were at it again on Saturday, the women playing at second-ranked Texas Woman’s while the men were at Dallas Baptist. They complete four-game road swings this week, visiting Midwestern State on Thursday night and Lubbock Christian on Saturday afternoon.
