Eastern New Mexico University's men's basketball team is preparing to play two games at Colorado State University Pueblo this weekend. The Greyhounds are aiming to extend their current three-game winning streak. They will first face MSU Denver on Friday at 2:30 p.m., followed by a game against CSU Pueblo on Saturday at 5 p.m.
Last weekend, Eastern New Mexico secured an 83-63 victory over Northwestern Oklahoma State despite missing regular starter Jose Murillo. Murillo is expected to return for the upcoming games in Pueblo. Freshman Mika Tangermann stepped into the starting lineup and recorded his best statistical game so far, scoring 12 points and collecting four rebounds. Mo Austin also contributed significantly with 25 points and three steals.
Mo Austin, who previously played high school basketball in Pueblo, will be returning to his hometown for the first time as a collegiate athlete. During his high school career at Pueblo South, he set the state record for most steals and was named Colorado's player of the year twice.
MSU Denver enters the weekend with a 1-3 record, including a win over Lone Star Conference opponent Sul Ross State. The team's top scorer is Garrett Falls, averaging 16.3 points per game with a shooting percentage of 56.8%. Logan Threatt adds 15.5 points per game along with solid assist-to-turnover numbers.
Host team CSU Pueblo has started their season with four straight wins, including victories over conference opponents Cameron and Midwestern State. The ThunderWolves lead their conference in several categories such as rebound margin (+12.3), rebounds per game (46.5), scoring defense (61.3), and scoring margin (+21). Sophomore Mac Terry leads the conference in assist-to-turnover ratio while Jordan Blair averages 15 points and eight rebounds per game.
Several Eastern New Mexico players have contributed early this season. Jose Murillo leads with an average of 17.3 points and seven rebounds per game while Austin Abrams is posting 14.3 points per outing. Treyvon Byrd averages nearly ten points per game and has collected nine steals so far this season, while Kobe Smith recently recorded six points and seven rebounds in a single contest.
The Greyhounds rank among the top teams in the Lone Star Conference for rebounding and defensive statistics, averaging nearly 38 rebounds per game with an +8.5 rebound margin, as well as ranking fifth in steals (11) and forcing almost seventeen turnovers per contest.
