Hounds integrate new players

FOURTH-YEAR EASTERN New Mexico University men’s basketball coach Shawn Scanlan is wary of putting much emphasis on Saturday night’s 106-58 exhibition blowout of the New Mexico All-Stars at Greyhound Arena.

The competition, he said, will get a lot better.

“We wanted to try to get the most out of every trip down the floor,” Scanlan said. “We wanted to go out there and see where we were under game conditions.”

The Greyhounds have several mainstays back from last year’s 20-8 squad which won the Lone Star Conference South Division championship, but they’re also trying to work in some newcomers.

“Our new guys are not comfortable yet in knowing how they’re going to fit in,” Scanlan said of junior college transfers Kennis Green, Edmound Elzy and Jamal Washington, who combined for 42 points and 24 rebounds on Saturday. “All three have the ability to add to this team in a way that could make us a lot better.”

ENMU, which opens the regular season at home Nov. 18 against Incarnate Word, has a 7 p.m. scrimmage on Wednesday against Division III Sul Ross State — coached by former Scanlan assistant Doug Davalos — at New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs. The Alpine, Texas-based Lobos won 20 games and the American Southwest Conference championship last year, Davalos’ first at the school.

ENMU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL COACH Dan Buzard saw a lot of positive signs in Sunday’s 70-55 exhibition loss at Division I Texas-El Paso.

“I thought we really competed tonight and played hard against a pretty talented team,” Buzard said. “They (Miners) were picked pretty low in their conference (Western Athletic), but they have a lot of new talent.”

The Zias, whose regular-season opener is on Sunday at Colorado-Colorado Springs, were within seven points late after weathering a huge UTEP run at the start of the second half. Junior guard Laci Lee and junior post Loren Scarlett led the effort.

“Laci played well; she hit some big baskets,” Buzard said. “And Loren played well — I think you can expect that from her all year.”

Buzard said Scarlett and fellow 6-footer Jereena Bosket had their hands full with a bevy of taller UTEP players, mostly Europeans. Still, the Zias outrebounded the Miners 34-33.

“Loren and Jereena competed well against bigger people,” Buzard said. “We just had too many turnovers in the second half (20).”

QUICK HITS — ENMU junior receiver Josh Quebe had easily his best day as a collegian in Saturday’s 49-23 loss to West Texas A&M, grabbing seven passes for 63 yards. … The Greyhounds dropped from first to third in the LSC in both scoring defense and total defense after Saturday’s thumping by WT. … The ENMU volleyball team faces Texas Woman’s in a 6:30 p.m. (MST) quarterfinal on Thursday in the Lone Star Conference tournament, hosted by WT at Canyon, Texas. TWU settled for a North Division tri-championship with Central Oklahoma and Cameron after losing to both on the road last weekend, but the Pioneers (15-18, 8-2 North) made an impressive turnaround from a 2-15 September by putting together a 12-match winning streak that coincided with the start of division play. … The Zias’ tournament matches will be carried by KSEL-FM 95.3 in Portales, with ENMU sports information director Robert McKinney doing the play-by-play.