Hounds improve to 4-1

PORTALES - With a 22-game Lone Star Conference schedule around the corner, the Eastern New Mexico University men's basketball team is trying to use its final pre-conference tilts to tune up.

ENMU improved to 4-1 on Wednesday night with a 74-53 thumping of Northern New Mexico at Greyhound Arena as 6-foot-7 sophomore forward Errol White posted 18 points and 16 rebounds. A home matchup on Saturday against Hobbs-based University of the Southwest was to wrap up pre-conference play before the Greyhounds begin their LSC slate with games on Thursday at St. Edward's and on Saturday at St. Mary's.

On Wednesday night, the Hounds regained the services of sophomore point guard Dwayne Chester III, senior guard Grehlon Easter and 6-9 sophomore center Malique Oates, all of whom had missed time early in the campaign due to nagging injuries.

"We had some mistakes, but now that we have everybody back I feel really comfortable going into the conference," said White, who also notched two blocks and posted his third double-double of the campaign. "Our (team) chemistry is amazing."

ENMU scored the game's first seven points and cruised into halftime with a 35-21 advantage. The Hounds broke the contest open with an 18-0 run over 7 1/2 minutes of the second half for a 28-point cushion, forcing NNMC (3-7) into eight turnovers during that span.

Senior guard Eze Dike added 13 points and junior guard/forward Jahcoree Ealy 10 for the Hounds, while junior guard Greg Johnson finished with eight points and nine caroms in 22 minutes.

White's rebound total was the fifth-most in a single game in program history.

"He just has a nose for the ball," ENMU coach Brent Owen said. "Rebounding takes a lot of athleticism and strength, but it also takes intelligence. He's very good at knowing where the ball's going to come off the rim."

White said it's defense first for him, as well as for the team.

"I'm not really too worried about our offense; we have guys that can score," he said. "It starts defensively, and I think our defense is always going to be there.

"My main role on this team is to be a defensive stopper, a rim-protector and an incredible rebounder. My offense is going to come along."

ENMU's lead was never below double figures after Easter's driving layup put the Hounds in front 24-13 with eight minutes left in the half.

A 3-pointer by junior guard Joe Saterfield Jr. pulled the Northern New Mexico to 45-35 with 12:33 left, but the Eagles went scoreless over a stretch of just more than 8 1/2 minutes before senior Jamal Harris' free throw finally ended the Hounds' run.

With backups in the game for ENMU, the Eagles scored 17 points over the final 3:45, including a 3-pointer which just beat the final buzzer by sophomore guard Conner Kelley.

Kelley took game scoring honors with 24 points for the Eagles, although 15 of them came in the finishing run. Saterfield also reached double digits with 10 points.

Owen said the Hounds have players who are interchangeable on the defensive end of the court.

"I think that's really hard for teams to deal with," he said. "We can find easy baskets as long as we get stops on defense."

Picked 15th out of 16 teams in the LSC preseason poll, it goes without saying that the Hounds hope to do much better than that.

"I think Saturday's a really important day for us," Owen said of the USW clash. "It'll be good to play against a real physical team."

St. Edward's was picked fifth and St. Mary's seventh in the preseason poll.

"If we just bring our energy, we'll be all right," White said. "We have no selfish players. It just depends on our energy."