Hounds, Lobos slate exhibition game

PORTALES — Eastern New Mexico University has reached an agreement for an exhibition game with the Lobos.

The University of New Mexico will host the Greyhounds Nov. 3 at The Pit in Albuquerque, with tipoff time still to be determined.

This is the second straight season the Hounds have landed a Division I opponent on the schedule. The Hounds dropped a 95-49 game to the Cougars, who reached the Association Press Top 25 poll the following Monday.

The Lobos went 30-5 last season.

“Obviously, both of them are really good teams,” ENMU coach Andrew Helton said. “Any time you can get a 5 or 6 seed, then get to the second round, you’re one of the best.”

Helton thinks the game will be a good experience, especially since the squad recruited Albuquerque guards Kyle Lantz and Michael Maya.

The Greyhounds are coming off a 10-16 season, Helton’s first at the helm, including 5-7 in the Lone Star Conference South Division.

The Lobos and Hounds also faced off in 2007, in an exhibition game won 94-50 by UNM.

Helton said it is a “guarantee game,” where a bigger school pays an appearance fee to the opponent, normally a much smaller school, with the likelihood of an easy victory. He wouldn’t disclose the figures, but said it was less than the fee Brigham Young University paid for last year’s game because the game is an exhibition.