Jackson's Baseline Jumper with 1.4 Seconds Left in Overtime Sends Greyhounds to Lone Star Conference Tournament
Jackson also Forces Overtime with Buzzer-Beater

LSC Quarterfinals on Feb. 28, 2006 (Seed in parentheses):
Eastern New Mexico (4S) at Southeastern Oklahoma (1N), 6 p.m. MST
Southwestern Oklahoma (3N) at West Texas A&M (2S), 7 p.m. MST
Texas A&M-Kingsville (3S) at Central Oklahoma (2N), 6 p.m. MST
Texas A&M-Commerce (4N) at Tarleton State (1S), 7 p.m. MST

Box Score not available

PORTALES, N.M. — Eastern New Mexico University freshman guard Joshua Jackson (Madison, WI/Madison West HS) hit a jump shot just inside the 3-point line as the clock expired in regulation, then scored the game-winning shot on a baseline jumper with 1.4 seconds left in overtime, as the Greyhounds defeated Midwestern State University, 84-82, in Wichita Falls, Texas, on Saturday, Feb. 25. Jackson’s last-second winner sent the Greyhounds into the Lone Star Conference Tournament as the fourth place team in the LSC South at 12-15 overall, 6-6 in the LSC South. MSU fell to 16-11, 5-7 in the LSC South.

ENMU will open the LSC Tournament against Southeastern Oklahoma State University in Durant, Okla., on Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. MST (7 p.m. Central). If the Greyhounds win on Tuesday, they will advance to the LSC Semifinals on Friday, Mar. 3, at a site to be determined. The LSC Championship game, which provides the winner with an automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Tournament, will be held on Saturday, Mar. 4, at the same site as the semifinals.

ENMU outscored Midwestern in the extra session, 8-6. The Hounds never trailed during the overtime period, after opening the stanza with a layup from Tristan Largent (Jr., G, Martinsburg, WV/Garrett College) at the 3:44 mark. Eastern built a five-point cushion at 82-77 when Jake Holladay (Fr., F, Gilmer, TX/Gilmer HS) put through a layup with 58 seconds to go.

The Greyhounds rebounded two missed shots by MSU, but failed to clinch the win. Montoya missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity with 30 seconds left. The Hounds also committed a turnover with 19 seconds remaining.

Eric Dawson, who was fouled as he stole the ball, converted two foul shots to cut the lead to 82-79. Another turnover gave the Mustangs possession with 16 seconds on the clock. Tate Lombard missed a quick 3-pointer, but Dawson hauled down the rebound, scored and was fouled with 11 seconds left. He completed the three-point play to tie the game, 82-82.

Jackson received the ball on offense for ENMU and provided the Hounds with the victory when his baseline shot went through the net. Jackson scored 17 points, while contributing six assists and five rebounds.

Largent led Eastern with 22 points, tying his career high set against the Mustangs on Jan. 28. Jolen Montoya (G, Cordova, NM/Neosho County CC), the Greyhounds’ only senior, chipped in 14 points.

Eastern owned a 72-67 lead following a layup by Largent with 3:14 left in regulation. Chad Rickett of MSU, who scored a game-high 32 points, sank four consecutive free throws to pull the Mustangs within 72-71 at the 1:47 mark. Neither team scored again until Rickett nailed a jumper and a foul shot with 57 seconds to play.

Jackson tied the game at 74-74 on a jumper with 39 seconds remaining. LaKeith Grant then gave MSU a two-point lead with a jump shot at the 5-second mark, only to have Jackson tie the score as the clock expired. It was the 10th tie of the game and the sixth deadlock since halftime.

The Hounds shot 55.0% for the game (33 of 60), including 11 of 19 (57.9%) from 3-point
range. Eastern hit 60.7% (17 of 28) from the field in the second half and made 4 of 8 shots in overtime. Largent converted 4 of 6 three-point attempts, while Montoya made 3 of 4 three-point tries. Midwestern State hit 28 of 53 shots in the first two periods (52.8%), but went 1 for 9 in overtime and finished the game at 46.8%. The Mustangs connected on just 3 of 18 three-point shots, including 0 for 5 in overtime.

Eastern committed 28 turnovers and was whistled for 30 fouls, as Midwestern State went 21 of 33 at the free throw line. The Greyhounds, just 7 of 13 at the charity stripe, forced 21 turnovers by MSU. Eastern also gained a 38-31 rebounding edge, led by Holladay and Largent with eight boards each. Holladay also recorded three steals, while Chad Donnell (Jr., F, Frankston, TX/ Frankston HS) provided six rebounds.

Rickett scored his 32 points by going 11 of 16 from the field and 9 for 9 at the free throw line. Dawson added 21 points, plus game highs with 14 rebounds and seven blocked shots for the Mustangs. He also recorded four steals. Eddie Rowe supplied 14 points and a game-high five steals, while Grant chipped in six points and six rebounds.

The Greyhounds led early in the game 11-5, but Midwestern State scored the next six points to tie the score, and eventually build a nine-point lead, 37-28, with 2:45 left in the half. Eastern concluded the opening period with a 6-2 run to get within 39-34 at the intermission.

An 8-2 run at the start of the second half propelled the Mustangs into a 46-36 lead. The Hounds quickly erased MSU’s advantage with a 12-0 offensive surge that started with a layup by Holladay at the 16:51 mark and ended with a layup by Montoya with 15:29 left.

Montoya’s basket created the first lead change of the second half, but two more ties and two additional lead changes took place over the next 1:37, as the Hounds took a 53-51 lead. Eastern led 58-53 with 12:37 remaining, following a 3-pointer by Largent, and held a six-point advantage, 63-57, after Travis Carr (Jr., G, Colorado Springs, CO/Otero JC) sank a 3-pointer at the 9:25 mark. Six unanswered points by Midwestern tied the game with 8:16 remaining.

ENMU will be competing in the LSC Tournament for the third time in four seasons. The Greyhounds defeated Southeastern Oklahoma, 83-65, on Jan. 14 at Greyhound Arena, but the Hounds will have to play the rematch on the road. ENMU also will be without junior forward Mikal Monette (Albuquerque, NM/University of New Mexico), who has not played since Feb. 18 due to a knee injury.