PORTALES, N.M. – The Tarleton Texan men's basketball team will be looking to return to the win column on Wednesday, Feb. 10 when the purple and white tip-off at Eastern New Mexico in Portales, N.M. at 9 p.m. CST.
The Texans will enter Greyhound Arena 17-5 overall and 5-2 in the Lone Star Conference South Division after dropping two contests last week to division rival No. 7 Midwestern State. The Texans lost 66-49 at home to the Mustangs before almost pulling off the upset at MSU on Saturday, 72-69. Tarleton started the LSC South Division schedule 5-0 and stood atop the standings alone, but with the two losses, the Texans drop to second place, one game behind the Mustangs.
Tarleton and ENMU met on Jan. 20 in Stephenville, and the Texans handed the visitors a 76-36 loss. The 40 points was the biggest South Division win by Tarleton since defeating the Greyhounds 83-43 on Feb. 27, 2007. The game was also the first time since Feb. 22, 1997 that Tarleton held a South Division opponent to below 40 points.
Equs Darby was the only Greyhound in double figures with 11, and he led the squad with seven rebounds as the Texans outrebounded the visitors, 40-22. ENMU averaged just .326 from the field in the contest while the Texans shot .448 from the floor. Five Texans finished in double digits including Effran Bryant (13), Darrion Washington (11), Devon Hills (10), Jeremiah Wilson (10) and Corin Henry (10). Wilson had a double-double with 10 boards.
This season, the Texans are led by Hills with 12.8 points per game while Bryant (11.1), Henry (11.1) and Wilson (10.6) are also scoring in double digits. Wilson leads the squad in rebounding with 8.7 boards per game while Donta Smith is second with 7.0 rebounds per outing. Henry leads the team with 101 assists and 39 steals while Wilson's 35 blocks is tops on the squad.
In conference action, Hills is averaging 15.3 points per outing while Bryant is second with 14.7 points per game. Smith is pulling down 8.4 rebounds per game in South Division play while Wilson is recording 7.4 boards per contest.
The Texans are shooting .435 from the floor, .357 from the arc and .685 from the charity stripe while holding opponents to .368 from the field, .315 from the arc and .646 from the line. Tarleton is outrebounding foes 37.8 to 32.9 and outscoring them 70.8 to 56.6.
In conference action, the Texans are shooting .459 from the floor, .343 from the arc and .700 from the stripe while holding opponents to .380 from the field, .310 from the arc and .645 from the line. Tarleton is outrebounding opponents 35.3 to 31.3 and outscoring them 71.1 to 57.9.
ENMU enters the contest 8-13 overall and 3-4 in the South Division. The Greyhounds are 5-6 at home this season, including a 2-2 mark in conference action. ENMU defeated West Texas A&M last Wednesday in overtime in Portales, 61-58, but the Greyhounds lost to the Buffaloes on Saturday in Canyon, 67-49.
Tyler Jefferson leads the host team with 12.5 points per game while Reggie Nelson is averaging 10.9. Jefferson also leads the squad in rebounds with 6.4 per outing while Darby is second with 5.9 boards per game.
The Greyhounds are averaging .413 from the field, .263 from the arc and .709 from the line while opponents are shooting .433 from the floor, .319 from the arc and .693 from the stripe. ENMU is being outscored 72.4 to 65.5 and outrebounded 37.3 to 33.7.
The Texans have claimed the last five contests between the two teams and 23 of the last 24. The only ENMU victory in that span was on Feb. 24, 2007 in overtime in Portales, N.M. (77-74). Tarleton leads the all-time series, which began in 1964, 26-7. Under head coach Lonn Reisman, the Texans are 26-6 over ENMU, including a 10-4 mark in Portales.
The game will be broadcast on KSTV 93.1 FM.
