ENMU teams host Commerce

Look past Texas A&M-Commerce’s 0-5 record and you see a team which is not that far from being pretty good.

The Lions have been competitive in all of their games to this point and are looking to break into the win column in today’s 4 p.m. Lone Star Conference men’s crossover game against Eastern New Mexico University (2-4) at Greyhound Arena.

Women’s teams play in the first half of the doubleheader at 2 p.m.

ENMU’s men, meantime, are having their own problems right now. The Greyhounds have lost three in a row, including Wednesday’s 79-71 loss to Oklahoma Panhandle State at home.

“We’re struggling a lot,” Greyhounds coach Shawn Scanlan said. “We’re playing with a lack of confidence right now.”

Scanlan said the Hounds will face a typical Commerce team in terms of style — up-tempo and athletic. Commerce lost at West Texas A&M 72-65 on Thursday night.

“They’re playing like they normally play,” he said. “They’re very athletic, and they have a lot of guys who can score.

“They’re playing well, and they’ve played a good schedule.”

Commerce’s women (4-2) are ranked 13th in NCAA Division II and only a few points from being undefeated, with narrow road losses to sixth-ranked Washburn and No. 21 WT.

As usual, the Lions put an athletic team on the court, ENMU women’s coach Linden Weese said.

“They got 70 rebounds in one ballgame recently,” he said. “That shows you how athletic they are. This won’t be the biggest team we’ve played, but it will be the most athletic.

“We’re just going to try to see it as an opportunity to play against a quality team.”

The freshman-laden Zias (1-4) have had up-and-down stretches in every game so far as they try to determine roles.

“I knew it was probably going to be like this for a while,” Weese said. “We’ve had stretches in all the games where we’ve played well, but we can’t sustain it. Part of it is because of inexperience.

“I still think if we don’t get beat down too much, before South (Division) play (beginning in mid-January) I think we’ll be OK.”

ENMU capsule

Men

Texas A&M-Commerce (0-5) at ENMU (2-4), 4 p.m. today, in a Lone Star Conference crossover game at Greyhound Arena.

Radio: KSEL-FM 95.3.

On the Net: http://www.enmusports.com

Notes: Commerce’s losses have come by a combined 24 points, none by more than seven. The Lions have led at halftime in all five games. … West Texas A&M converted 13 3-pointers to beat Commerce 72-65 on Thursday at Canyon. … Scooby Johnson, a 6-foot-7 senior F who transferred from Division I Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, is shooting 67 percent from the field (40-of-60) and leads the Lions in scoring (20.6) and rebounding (7.8). Also averaging in double figures are 6-0 senior G Kevin Widemond (12.6 ppg) and 6-3 senior F Lance Jackson (11.4). … Commerce has committed 86 turnovers this season while collecting only 55 assists. The Hounds have 126 turnovers, 91 assists. … The Greyhounds bring a three-game losing streak into the contest after falling at home to Oklahoma Panhandle State 79-71 on Wednesday. ENMU committed 32 turnovers and converted only 7-of-17 free throws in the loss.

Women

Texas A&M-Commerce (4-2) at ENMU (1-4), 2 p.m. today, in a Lone Star Conference crossover game at Greyhound Arena.

Radio: KSEL-AM 1450.

On the Net: http://www.enmusports.com

Notes: The Lions are ranked 13th in NCAA Division II. Their losses were at No. 6 Washburn (79-76) and, on Thursday night, at No. 21 West Texas A&M (72-65). WT started the second half on a 20-5 run, extending a one-point halftime lead to 43-27. … The Lions are outscoring their opponents by an average margin of 66-54. … Leading scorers are 5-8 junior G Britney Jordan (19.4 ppg), 5-11 senior G/F Melissa Bratton (12.2) and 6-1 senior F Katedria Mosley (12.0). Mosley, who also leads the team in rebounding (9.7 rpg), set the school record for career free throw attempts in the loss at WT. She has attempted 530 in her four-year career.

—Compiled by Dave Wagner