Drury Pulls Away from Eastern in Final 8:29 for 81-63 Victory at High Desert Classic
ENMU Shoots 61.5% in First Half for 38-35 Lead

Box Score

LAS VEGAS, NEV. — Eastern New Mexico University shot 61.5% in the first half (16 of 26), but the Greyhounds connected on just 37.0% of their attempts in the second half and Drury University hit 63.6% from the floor (14 of 22) over the final 20 minutes, as the Panthers defeated ENMU, 81-63, on Saturday, Dec. 17, at the High Desert Classic. The game was tied, 58-58, with 8:46 left, but Drury outscored the Greyhounds 23-5 the rest of the way. ENMU fell to 4-6 with the loss, while the Panthers upped their record to 7-2.

ENMU trailed 60-58 with 8:29 remaining, after Brandon Kimbrough converted two free throws to break the tie. Kimbrough’s charity shots began a string of 15 unanswered points for the Panthers, who led by just six points, 64-58, with 6:41 left, but owned a 73-58 advantage when the clock reached the 2:50 mark.

Eastern’s Joshua Jackson (Fr., G, Madison, WI/Madison West HS), who made his first start, ended the scoreless streak on a layup with 2:43 left. ENMU scored only three more points, as Ira Cross (Jr., F, Munford, AL/Gadsden State CC) put in a layup with 1:43 left and Mikal Monette (Jr., F, Albuquerque, NM/University of New Mexico) hit the first of two free throw attempts with 50 seconds to go.

Drury placed three players in double figures, led by Steven Gum, who scored 20 points. Gum was successful on 7 of 13 field goals, but made just 2 of 8 three-pointers. He was 4 for 5 at the line. Collins Harris contributed 19 points to the Panthers on 8 of 11 shooting from the field and 3 for 3 at the charity stripe. He also led DU with five rebounds. Kimbrough finished the night with 16 points and led all players with seven assists.

The Panthers shot 54.5% for the game (30 of 55) and nailed 18 of 24 free throws (75.0%). Drury also forced 21 turnovers by ENMU and recorded 16 steals, including four each by Harris and Kimbrough. The Panthers were called for just 12 turnovers.

Eastern was led by Monette, who recorded a career-high 23 points and tied for game-high honors with nine rebounds. Monette was 10 of 14 from the field. He scored 18 points in the first half, while converting 8 of 11 field goal tries. He had just three field goal attempts in the second stanza. Jolen Montoya (Sr., G, Cordova, NM/Neosho County CC) also reached double figures, as he provided 11 points, including 3 of 5 on three-point shots. Stephen Wilson (Jr., G, Heflin, AL/Gadsden State CC) scored eight points, while Cross tied Monette for rebounding honors with nine boards.

ENMU accumulated a 33-23 rebounding advantage, built primarily with a 19-8 edge on the boards in the first half. Drury outrebounded ENMU, 15-14, in the second half. The Panthers committed just five turnovers in the final 20 minutes, while forcing ENMU into 11 turnovers.

The game was close in the early minutes, with one tie and seven lead changes in the first 3:44. Eastern trailed 8-7 with 16:45 on the clock, but created the seventh lead change on a layup by Monette to start a 9-2 run. ENMU held a 16-10 lead with 13:39 left in the half.

Eastern’s advantage reached as many as eight points three times during the half, at 20-12 with 11:09 on the clock, 36-28 at the 2:59 mark and 38-30, when Monette scored his final points of the stanza with 1:01 left. Drury closed the half with a 5-0 run, on a layup by Lorenzo Lasley with 40 seconds to go and a 3-pointer by Gum with six seconds remaining.

The Greyhounds do not play again until Friday, Dec. 30, when they will take on Oklahoma Panhandle State University in Goodwell, Okla. Game time is set for 4 p.m. MST. Eastern defeated OPSU, 69-63, at Greyhound Arena on Dec. 10, as Monette led the Hounds with 18 points.