Greyhounds Defeat Javelinas in Overtime, 99-95, to Clinch LSC South Championship
ENMU Wins Regular Season Title for First Time

PORTALES, NM – The Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team has a tradition of success that includes the NAIA National Championship in 1968-69, a Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament title in 1992-93, and a trip to the NCAA Division II Regional Finals in 1992-93. The Greyhounds have added their first-ever LSC South regular season title to the list, after ENMU rallied from an 80-74 deficit in regulation to defeat Texas A&M-Kingsville, 99-95 in overtime, Feb. 27, in Kingsville, Texas.

Eastern, now 18-7 overall and 10-1 in the LSC South, clinched the 2002-03 LSC South championship with the win over TAMUK. ENMU will close out the regular season on Saturday, Mar. 1, at Texas A&M University-Commerce. TAMU-Kingsville fell to 11-15 overall, 3-8 in the LSC South, and dropped out of contention for an LSC Tournament berth.

As the #1 seed from the LSC South, ENMU will host an LSC quarterfinal game on Tuesday, Mar. 4, against the fourth place team in the LSC North. Southwestern Oklahoma State University (8-17, 4-7 LSC North) and East Central University (11-15, 3-8 LSC South) will play each other in Weatherford, Okla., in a regular season game on Saturday, with the winner traveling to ENMU for Tuesday’s game.

If the Hounds win on Tuesday, Eastern will host the LSC semifinals and championship game at Greyhound Arena on Friday and Saturday, Mar. 7-8. Game times have not been determined.

In Thursday’s overtime win at Kingsville, the Greyhounds trailed 80-74 after Colin Merritt hit a 3-pointer with 5:29 remaining in regulation. Eastern answered quickly, with Randy Johnson (Sr., G, Italy, TX/McLennan CC) sinking a 3-pointer at the 5:08 mark. Irshaun Pinckney (So., G, Clovis, NM/Clovis HS) tied the game at 80-80, with 4:38 left, on a layup and foul shot.

Eastern held an 85-81 lead with 3:11 left in regulation, after Garland Coleman (Jr., G/F, Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor HS) converted two free throws. William Brown eventually gave TAMUK an 88-87 lead on a pair of charity shots with 1:07 to go, but Coleman scored on a layup with 41 seconds on the clock, as ENMU took an 89-88 lead. Vincent Williams had a chance to give Kingsville the lead, but missed the second of two free throws with 21 seconds left.

Cedric Palmer (Sr., F, Houston, TX/McLennan CC) missed a jump shot for ENMU in the closing seconds, as the game remained 89-89 at the end of the second half.
In overtime, the Javelinas scored first. Jamie Barnett recorded the basket with 3:38 left, after grabbing the rebound of a missed shot by Williams.

ENMU scored the next six points for a 95-91 lead. Brent Cooper (Jr., G, Mobile, AL/Faulkner State College) began the run on a jumper with 3:22 left. Coleman then gave Eastern the lead for good when he hauled down his own rebound and scored on a layup with 2:21 remaining. Coleman stole the ball on TAMUK’s next possession, and Palmer hit a layup at the 2:00 mark.

TAMU-Kingsville cut the lead to 95-93 on free throws by Richard Gonzalez with 1:33 to go. ENMU turned the ball over 17 seconds later, but the Javelinas missed two layups and Jamaal Hunnicutt (So., F, Amarillo, TX/Hill JC) grabbed the second rebound with 0:49 left.

Cooper missed a jumper for ENMU with 20 seconds to go, but Hunnicutt snatched the rebound and was fouled. He hit both free throws at the 18-second mark to give Eastern a 97-93 lead. Gonzalez made a layup and was fouled with 7 seconds on the clock, but missed the free throw, and Palmer rebounded for the Greyhounds.

Palmer was fouled by Khalil Pottinger with four seconds left, and sank both free throws to clinch the win and the LSC South title. A year ago, Palmer rebounded a missed free throw and scored in the closing seconds of Eastern’s regular season finale at Abilene Christian, clinching a 71-70 win and an LSC Tournament berth for the Hounds.

Hunnicutt led the Greyhounds, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. He was 6 of 8 from the floor and 7 of 9 at the free throw line. He also earned four assists, one block and one steal, while committing just one turnover in 34 minutes played.

Kevin Iverson (Sr., G, Chicago, IL/Elgin CC) added 16 points, six boards and five assists. He converted 5 of 8 field goals and 6 of 6 free throws. Palmer contributed 15 points and five rebounds. Coleman finished with 12 points, five boards and two steals, and Pinckney supplied 11 points and two assists. The Hounds shot 60.7% from the floor (34 of 56) and made 86.7% at the line (26 of 30). ENMU was 5 of 10 on 3-pointers, and held a 37-23 rebounding edge.

TAMU-Kingsville received a game-high 24 points from Brown, who made 10 of 19 field goals, including 2 of 5 three-pointers. Merritt scored 14 points, while Barnett, Gonzalez and Williams each supplied 13 points. Remi Yusuf chipped in 12 points, while Porter led all players with eight assists. Kingsville was 8 of 16 on 3-point shots