PORTALES – After two road losses to open Lone Star Conference play, Eastern New Mexico University's men got themselves back in the thick of things at home over the weekend.
First, ENMU pounded previously unbeaten and 19th-ranked Texas-Tyler 68-45 on Thursday night, then followed that up with another solid overall effort in a 73-63 win over Dallas Baptist on Saturday afternoon at Greyhound Arena.
Junior guard Jahcoree Ealy (14 points, 12 rebounds) and sophomore forward Errol White (11 points, 10 boards) posted double-doubles as the Greyhounds (7-3, 2-2 LSC) pulled away with an 18-5 run late in the second half.
"We played great defense today," said Ealy, a transfer from Connors State (Okla.) JC who is from Conway, Ark. "That's our identity. We took those losses (at St. Edward's and St. Mary's) personally. We had to come back and really lock in, and we did that on defense."
Senior guard Eze Dike added 11 points for the Hounds, who shot just 36 percent from the floor and 3-of-19 from 3-point range but held the Patroits (8-4, 3-1) to 30 percent field goal shooting.
ENMU dominated the boards 52-36 and went 34-of-43 from the foul line, including 9-for-9 by Ealy.
"Overall, I was pleased with how we were defending," ENMU coach Brent Owen said. "That's an NCAA (Division II) tournament team (the past four years) that we're holding to 30 percent.
"We've spent a lot of time working on playing defense with our hands and trying to take away the middle"
Senior guard Jalen White, who went 8-for-8 from the floor and 7-for-7 from 3 in a 30-point win two nights earlier at Western New Mexico, was 6-for-7 from distance for 18 points in this one. Junior guard Ricky Lujan added 15 for the Patriots, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped.
"Jalen White really got hot," Owen said. "In the last media timeout (of the game), the guys did a good job of finding him and taking him out of the game."
Both teams struggled in the early going. At the first media timeout it was 2-0 on two free throws by freshman forward Jose Murillo, and ENMU didn't get its first field goal until Ealy's stickback made it 4-0 at the 14:26 mark.
DBU, which missed 18 of its first 20 field goal attempts, didn't score until junior guard Micaiah Abii's 3-pointer from the left corner on the next trip down.
The Hounds led 18-8 with just under six minutes left before the Patriots got going. Jalen White hit back-to-back 3s to give DBU a one-point lead with under a minute left in the half, but Ealy's two foul shots with three seconds remaining sent ENMU into the lockerroom ahead 31-29.
"We started turning the ball over," Ealy said. "That's what got them back in the game."
ENMU held the Patriots scoreless again for nearly three minutes to start the second half, but back-to-back 3s by White and Lujan cut the margin to one. DBU took a one-point lead three times from there, the last at 52-51 on two free throws by Lujan.
Dike promptly came back with a 3, and the Hounds eventually stretched the margin to 69-57 with just under a minute left when both senior guard Grehlon Easter and Ealy both converted a pair of charity tosses.
The Hounds now get a break in the schedule. They won't gather again until Dec. 26, and return to action four days later at home against Texas-Permian Basin.
"We're just taking it one game at a time," Ealy said. "We're going to enjoy the break and then come back and get back to business."