Greyhounds Slip Past Texas A&M-Commerce, 74-71, Finish Regular Season at 19-7 Overall, 11-1 LSC South

COMMERCE, TX – Jamaal Hunnicutt (So., F, Amarillo, TX/Hill JC) scored 18 points, hauled down nine boards and earned five assists, leading Eastern New Mexico University to a 74-71 win over Texas A&M University-Commerce, in a Lone Star Conference game, Mar. 1, in Commerce, Texas. ENMU finished the regular season with a 19-7 record, after winning 15 of its last 16 games. The Greyhounds also won the LSC South title at 11-1. TAMU-Commerce fell to 16-11 overall, including 6-6 in the LSC South (3rd place).

The Greyhounds led by one point, 72-71, with 1:05 remaining, after Micah Reed hit two free throws for the Lions. Brent Cooper (Jr., G, Mobile, AL/Faulkner State College) sealed the win by sinking both ends of a two-shot foul with 17 seconds left. Poncho Reedy’s 3-point attempt for TAMUC with five seconds left failed, and Randy Johnson (Sr., G, Italy, TX/McLennan CC) rebounded for ENMU.

Eastern, at the 19-win mark for the first time since 1992-93, enters the LSC Tournament as the top seed from the South Division. The Greyhounds will open the tournament on Tuesday, Mar. 4, against East Central University (12-15, 4-8 LSC North), the fourth place team in the North Division. Game time is set for 7 p.m. (MST).

If the Hounds win Tuesday, they will host the LSC semifinals and championship game at Greyhound Arena, Mar. 7-8. The winner of the ENMU-ECU game will take on the winner of the quarterfinal game between Tarleton State University and TAMU-Commerce, also set for Mar. 4 at 7 p.m. (MST). Game times for the semifinals and championship have not been determined.

Hunnicutt scored 15 of his points in the first half. The Greyhounds led 19-9 with 12:09 left in the period, and held a 38-30 lead entering the final minute of the half, but Reedy hit a 3-pointer and a layup before halftime, as TAMU-Commerce cut Eastern’s advantage to 38-35. Irshaun Pinckney (So., G, Clovis, NM/Clovis HS) scored 11 first-half points for ENMU.

TAMU-Commerce took a 41-40 lead on a dunk by Jason Summers with 18:21 remaining, and the game stayed close for most of the second half. Eastern achieved an eight-point lead, 65-57, with 6:39 to go, following a 6-0 run on two free throws by Pinckney and two jump shots by Cedric Palmer (Sr., F, Houston, TX/McLennan CC).

Reed scored the Lions’ next six points to offset a free throw and one basket by ENMU, as TAMUC cut the lead to 68-64. Cooper scored on a jumper with 3:10 left for the Hounds, but Reedy hit a 3-point shot to pull Commerce within 70-67 with 2:39 on the clock.

Palmer scored with 2:14 left, on an assist from Kevin Iverson (Sr., G, Chicago, IL/Elgin CC), giving ENMU a 72-67 lead. Sixteen seconds later, Reed sank a jumper to cut the deficit to three points, then reduced the margin to one point with his two free throws at the 1:05 mark.

Reed topped all players with 21 points. He also provided the Lions with seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals. He blocked two of ENMU’s shots, as TAMUC concluded the game with seven blocked shots overall.

Reedy tacked on 18 points on 7 of 13 field goals, including 4 of 9 three-point shots. Clay Lewkowski added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds, while Summers scored nine points and Ross Hodge supplied five assists.

In addition to Hunnicutt, the Greyhounds placed Pinckney and Palmer in double figures. Pinckney tallied 15 points and grabbed six rebounds, while sinking 9 of 10 charity shots. Palmer was 7 of 15 from the field and scored 14 points. Cooper provided nine points, six assists, three rebounds and three steals.

The Hounds outrebounded the Lions, 39-31, and shot 45.2% from the field (28 of 62). ENMU made just one of four 3-point attempts, but converted 17 of 23 free throws (73.9%). TAMU-Commerce shot 45.6% overall (26 of 57), while making 7 of 20 three-pointers and 12 of 16 free throw attempts.