Box Score PRESCOTT, Ariz. – After trailing the entire first half, the Western New Mexico University men's basketball team finally took their first lead of the game midway through the second half before NAIA Embry Riddle responded to take the 78-62 victory over the Mustangs Wednesday night.
Junior
Latrell Spivey (Phoenix, AZ/Westview) put together his second straight double-double with 12 points and 19 rebounds. Four of the five starters for the Mustangs reached double-figures in scoring with sophomore
Jordan Enriquez (El Paso, TX/Bel Air ) with a team-best 13, senior
Emery Range (Grand Rapids, MI/Willow Canyon) added 12 and sophomore
Willie McCray (Clovis, NM/Clovis/Westwind Prep Academy ) with 11.
Three-pointers again added the opposition with Embry Riddle (3-5) connecting on 11-28 (39) from deep, while WNMU (1-2) went 6-26 (23). WNMU had more looks taking six more shots, but connected on 21-68 (31), while the Eagles made 16-62 (42). Free throws (15-14) slightly favored Embry Riddle.
Trailing by seven, 41-34, at halftime, the Mustangs slowly worked their way back in to take the lead. After Spivey split a pair from the line, Range pushed WNMU on top with a jumper at the 11:58 mark to move the Mustangs to their first lead of the game at 47-46. The lead stretched to two a minute later on another jumper by Range.
After the third tie of the game at 49-all with 11 minutes to play, the Eagles started to pull away going on a 9-1 run for the 58-50 lead with 8:26 to play. A pair of free throws from Enriquez helped bring the Mustangs back to within four at 58-54 with 7:39 to play, but that ended up being as close as they could get. Embry Riddle closed the game on a 20-8 run for the 16-point victory.
The Eagles held an early 10-point lead in the first half at the midway point when WNMU responded getting back to within two at 28-26 on a three-pointer by Giron. An Enriquez deep ball near the end of the half had the Mustangs back to within three when the Eagles closed the half strong to take the seven-point lead into the locker rooms.
WNMU will return home to face former RMAC opponent and in-state rival New Mexico Highlands on Friday night inside Drag's Court at 6 p.m.
