Hounds top LCU in opener

LUBBOCK — Senior guard Jolen Montoya’s 3-pointer with 4:13 left put Eastern New Mexico University in front for good and the Greyhounds went on to a 62-56 win over Lubbock Christian on Tuesday in the season opener for both teams.

Junior guard Stephen Wilson scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds for the Hounds, while junior forward Ira Cross added 10 points. ENMU shot 48 percent for the game and outrebounded Lubbock Christian 30-26.

Senior guard Dustin Patterson and junior forward Marques Baldwin led the Chaparrals with 11 points apiece.

ENMU built a 10-point lead late in the first half, but fell behind 49-43 with the LCU’s Max Edding converted a steal into a 3-point play with 7:28 remaining.

The Hounds then went on a 19-7 run to finish the game, including a 9-0 run capped by Montoya’s 3-pointer. The Chaps got within a point two more times, the latter on a 3-pointer by Patterson with 1:17 left, before the Hounds finished it out by hitting 5-of-8 free throws down the stretch.

ENMU led throughout the first half except for a 2-2 tie. The Hounds opened an 11-4 lead with 12:12 left in the half on Wilson’s 3-pointer.

Wilson hit another 3-pointer with 3:48 left in the half to build the margin to 29-19 before the Chaps mounted a comeback. They outscored the Hounds 7-3 the rest of the half, with a 3-pointer by junior guard Travis Carr accounted for ENMU’s only scoring in that time.

The Hounds struggled when play resumed, turning the ball over five times in the first five minutes of the second half as the Chaps pulled even 32-32.

Two free throws by junior guard Tristan Largent put the Hounds back in front with 14:20 left, but Matt Martin’s 3-point play on the next trip gave LCU its first lead of the night 35-34.

Trailing 40-36, the Chaps went on a 13-3 run over a span of 3 1/2 minutes to build their six-point margin. ENMU countered with the next eight points, capped by Montoya’s 3-pointer, to take the lead for good.

ENMU MEN’S SUMMARY

Men

Eastern New Mexico (1-0) — Tristan Largent 2-4 4-6 9, Jolen Montoya 2-7 3-6 8, Travis Carr 2-3 0-0 5, Stephen Wilson 4-6 4-6 14, Josh Jackson 3-4 2-4 8, Jake Holladay 0-0 0-0 0, Larry Prince 2-3 0-0 4, Ira Cross 4-5 2-3 10, Mikal Monette 1-8 0-0 2, Donald Young 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 21-43 15-25 62.

Lubbock Christian (0-1) — Matt Martin 2-5 1-1 5, Lance Boxell 1-2 0-0 2, Tyler Hill 0-0 0-0 0, Dustin Patterson 4-11 0-1 11, Marques Baldwin 5-8 1-2 11, Blake Huggins 2-5 1-2 5, Max Eding 6-11 5-7 18, Bernardo Rocha 1-2 2-4 4. Totals 21-44 10-17 56.

Halftime — Eastern New Mexico 32, Lubbock Christian 26. 3-pointers — Eastern New Mexico 5-10 (Wilson 2-3, Carr 1-2, Largent 1-2, Montoya 1-3), Lubbock Christian 4-15 (Patterson 3-9, Eding 1-3, Baldwin 0-1, Boxell 0-1, Huggins 0-1). Rebounds — Eastern New Mexico 30 (Wilson 5), Lubbock Christian 26 (Huggins 6). Assists — Eastern New Mexico 5 (five tied with 1), Lubbock Christian 6 (Boxell 3). Total fouls — Eastern New Mexico 20, Lubbock Christian 22. Fouled out — Prince, Martin, Boxell. A — n/a.