Athletic Report
February 23, 2002

GREYHOUNDS QUALIFY FOR LSC TOURNAMENT FOR FIRST TIME SINCE 1996-97
Palmer Scores with 5.1 Seconds Left in 71-70 Win at ACU
ABILENE, TX – Cedric Palmer (Jr., F, Houston, TX/McLennan C.C.) scored 26 points and tipped in a missed free throw with 5.1 seconds remaining, sending Eastern New Mexico University into the Lone Star Conference Basketball Tournament for the first time since the 1996-97 with an 71-70 victory over Abilene Christian, Feb. 23 at Moody Coliseum.

ENMU, which played with just seven players since three team members quit Feb. 11, finished the regular season at 15-11, 6-6 in the LSC South. ACU ended its season at 7-19, 2-10 in the LSC South. ENMU will finish tied for third place or in outright possession of fourth place in the South Division. Either way the Greyhounds will qualify for the LSC Tournament as the #4 seed from the LSC South.

The Greyhounds will face North Division champion Northeastern State University in the first round of the LSC Tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 26. Game time in Tahlequah, Okla., has not yet been announced. In its four games since the three players left, ENMU has defeated three opponents: West Texas A&M University (81-77 in OT) on Feb. 18; Angelo State University (86-80 on Feb. 21) and Abilene Christian. Eastern’s other game was an 87-80 overtime loss to South Division champion Tarleton State University.

Against ACU, the Hounds fell behind by 11 points, 15-4, early in the game. Eastern rallied, eventually taking a 21-20 lead on a basket by Jon Belt (Jr., F, Broken Arrow, OK/Northeastern Oklahoma A&M) with 10:50 left in the half. The Greyhounds held a 43-37 lead at the break. Eastern was in front 47-39 early in the second half.

The Greyhounds also led 55-49 at the 11:28 mark, but ACU scored the next six points to tie the game. The Hounds held another six-point lead, 67-61, following a basket by Palmer with 3:52 to go. Rodney Lee hit a 3-pointer for the Wildcats with 2:10 remaining, then scored a two-point basket with 53 seconds left to cut Eastern’s lead to 67-66.

Irshaun Pinckney (Fr., G, Clovis, NM/Clovis H.S.) scored for ENMU with 0:41 on the clock, but Lee tied the game with another 3-pointer on ACU’s next possession. The Wildcats took a 70-69 lead when Howard Johnson converted the first of two free throws with 13 seconds left. Jamaal Hunnicutt (Fr., F, Amarillo, TX/Hill J.C./Randall H.S.) of ENMU was fouled while shooting with less than six seconds remaining. He missed both free throws, but Palmer tipped in the second rebound, giving Eastern the lead.

ACU brought the ball into play, but a turnover let ENMU run out the final seconds. Palmer’s 26 points and 13 rebounds led all players. The Greyhounds also received 21 points from Jon Belt (Jr., F, Broken Arrow, OK/Northeastern Oklahoma A&M), who provided a game-high 19 points in the first half. Belt was 7 of 11 from the field, including 3 of 4 on 3-point shots. Pinckney added 8 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.

Randy Johnson (Jr., G, Italy, TX/McLennan C.C.) led the Greyhounds with 9 assists, to go with 5 points and 2 steals. Garland Coleman (Jr., G/F, Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor H.S.) scored 3 points and contributed 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. ACU’s top scorer was Rodney Lee with 21 points, including a game-high 5 three-pointers. Tucker Pierson, Jeremy Brown and Howard Johnson added 12 points apiece. Pierson led the Wildcats with 8 rebounds.

The Wildcats hit 9 of 28 three-pointers (32.1%) and 26 of 58 field goals (44.8%) overall. ENMU was 27 of 63 from the field (42.9%) and 5 of 12 (41.7%) from 3-point range. ACU sank 9 of 10 free throws, while ENMU made 12 of 18 charity shots.