Athletic Report
July 27, 2000

GREYHOUNDS TO TAKE ON WESTERN NEW MEXICO DECEMBER 16 AT THE PIT IN ALBUQUERQUE
PORTALES, NM — The Eastern New Mexico University and Western New Mexico University men’s basketball teams will play each other on Saturday, Dec. 16, 2000 at The Pit in Albuquerque, New Mexico, ENMU Head Coach Shawn Scanlan and University of New Mexico Athletics Director Rudy Davalos announced today. Davalos and Scanlan also announced that The Pit will host additional games between ENMU, WNMU and/or New Mexico Highlands during the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons.

The Greyhounds and WNMU will play at 5:00 p.m. (MDT) in their Dec. 16 meeting at the Pit. UNM will complete the double-header against a Division I opponent still to be determined. The double-header format will return for at least two more seasons, with specific games and dates to be finalized at a later time.

UNM will provide $5,000 and 10 hotel rooms for one night for the home team in the Division II game each year Eastern New Mexico will be the home team on Dec. 16. Each participating school will receive 25 complimentary tickets to the double-header.

“Hopefully, this will be a positive experience that assists all three schools in a variety of ways.” said Davalos.“ This is an opportunity for the schools to play in The Pit and in front of a crowd much larger than they’re used to seeing. It also allows alums and friends to the institutions to organize a gathering around the game.”

“This is tremendous for us,” said Eastern New Mexico head coach Shawn Scanlan. “It allows us to play an intrastate game at a neutral site in a venue that has hosted so many great college basketball games. Then, we get to watch the Lobos play. It’s a perfect situation.”

“This means a couple of things for our program,” said Western New Mexico head coach Troy Houston. “Albuquerque is actually a shorter distance for us to travel to play Eastern, so it helps that way. And, obviously, playing in The Pit is exciting, especially for a lot of our kids who grew up watching games there.”

“The arrangement is great,” said New Mexico Highlands head coach Ed Manzanares. “The guarantee and hotel rooms help us financially. Playing in The Pit will be a lot of fun since we have so many New Mexico kids in our program.”

UNM Sports Information Director Greg Remington contributed to this release.