General

Eastern New Mexico snaps MSU's Nine-Game Win Streak

24 January 2007
2 min read

WICHITA FALLS, Texas - The Eastern New Mexico University Greyhounds used a 16-1 run midway through the second half to dig out of a tremendous hole, then held Midwestern State University to just one point in the final 1:23 to snap the Mustangs nine-game winning streak 86-81 Thursday night at Gerald Stockton Court in D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

MSU dropped to 12-4 overall and 1-1 in Lone Star Conference South play, while Eastern New Mexico improved to 9-8 overall and jumped to 3-0 to lead the LSC South.

The game of runs saw huge swings for both teams.

Midwestern

State

opened the contest with a 18-1 run, holding ENMU scoreless the first 4:50 of the contest. But the Greyhounds answered with a 14-0 run of their own to pull within three and the game was on.

After ENMU grabbed a 37-34 lead with 3:12 left in the first half, the Mustangs went on a 12-0 run to enter the locker room with a 46-37 halftime advantage.

Midwestern held steady over the first four-and-a half minutes of the second half, building an 11-point 58-47 lead on a Drew Coffman layup, but the pesky Hounds kept chipping away.

When Chad Rickett nailed a jumper with 13:10 to go, MSU held a 62-55 advantage, but little did anyone know at the time, it would be the last field goal by the Mustangs for nearly seven minutes.

ENMU's Stephen Wilson's layup with 12:51 to play started a 16-1 run over the stretch that gave the Hounds a 71-63 lead on Mikal Monette's layup with 7:24 to play.

The Mustangs would come back, using a 10-4 run to regain the lead when Eric Dawson hit a pair of free throws with 3:46 to play.

But the Hounds Tristan Largent returned the favor hitting two free throws, then got the pass after Justin Redman-Trotter swiped the ball and nailed a three to put Eastern up 80-76 with 2:53 left.

MSU battled back again, getting a rebound and dunk from Dawson to pull within two, then tying the game on Coffman's free throws with 1:23 remaining.

But needing to foul to stop the clock, the Mustangs allowed ENMU to hit six straight free throws down the stretch, while making one and intentionally missing one while down three points.

MSU seniors Chad Rickett and Eric Dawson paced the way with outstanding games. Rickett led the Mustangs with 25 points, five assists and two steals, while

Dawson

tallied 20 points with 11 rebounds and blocked six shots - five in the first half.

Chris Davis added 18 points for MSU, with Coffman chalking up 12 with seven assists.

Largent led ENMU to it's third straight LSC South triumph, with 27 points, while Redman-Trotter picked up 14 points with a team-high six rebounds and

Wilson

recorded 12.

Midwestern lost despite shooting 52.8 percent from the floor (28-of-53) and 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from the three-point arc. ENMU hit 48.3 percent (29-of-60) and 5-of-11 from the three (45.5 percent). Both teams hit 82 percent from the line.

But it was the Eastern's 34-27 advantage on the boards that spelled the difference, especially the 14 offensive Greyhound rebounds that led to 15 second chance points.

MSU will look to rebound Saturday night against a tough West Texas A&M squad as they look to Cram The Coliseum. General admission tickets for the men's and women's doubleheader are $2. The men will tipoff about 8 p.m. following the women's game at 6.

+++ MSU +++