Hounds drop close game to Buffs

Staff report

You wouldn’t expect to be in a game shooting just over 35 percent, especially if the opponent shot 51 percent.

Eastern New Mexico University’s men couldn’t get enough shots to go down and lost a tightly-contested Lone Star Conference matchup to rival West Texas A&M 76-73 on Saturday night at Greyhound Arena.

The teams battled through nine ties and 19 lead changes. Two free throws by freshman guard David Chavlovich with 3:11 to go put the Buffaloes (13-8, 3-4 LSC) in front for good 68-66 and kicked off a 9-2 run that produced the biggest lead of the game with less than 30 seconds to go.

Chavlovich finished with 17 points, leading four players in double figures for WT. Senior guard Miles Gatewood added 16 points, senior guard Antjuan Ball added a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds and senior guard Tez Dumas finished with 12 points.

The Buffs had to overcome shaky shooting from the line (14-of-27) and from 3-point range (6-of-24). They were also outrebounded 45-38 by the Greyhounds (7-13, 0-7).

Junior guard John Gilliam posted his own double-double for the Hounds with 22 points and 10 rebounds, but missed two foul shots with 26 seconds left and the Buffs leading by five points.

Junior guards Chris Wyms and Demetrius Balark added 19 and 11 points, respectively.

ENMU shot just 36 percent (26-of-73) and missed three of its last four free throws after starting the game 11-for-14.

Neither team led by more than four points until Ball’s basket put the Buffs in front 26-20 with four minutes left in the half. But WT went scoreless over the final three minutes of the half and a pair of 3s by Wyms, including one at the buzzer, put ENMU in front 33-32 at halftime.

The Hounds pulled out to their biggest lead of the game 55-49 on a 3-point play by Wyms with 10:39 left, but WT scored the next six points and the game remained tight until the closing moments.