Falcons, Buffs Head to Silver City to Face Mustangs

SILVER CITY, N.M. – Week in and week out in the Lone Star Conference can be very challenging. Having just faced two teams that were still playing good, but near the middle of the conference, the Western New Mexico University men's basketball team will now face a pair of teams that are just one game back of first in the league standings.

WNMU (2-15, 0-9 LSC) faced a long road trip and two tough teams last week as they fell to Angelo State and Texas A&M-Kingsville. During the last home stretch, the Mustangs played tough with Cameron before falling by 14. WNMU averages 63.7 points and allow 81.3, they make 35.7 percent from the field and allow 44.2 percent. In the conference, WNMU ranks in the top-five in a few categories including third in fewest fouls (357), third in fewest turnovers (241) and fifth in turnovers per game (14.2). Nationally, WNMU is in the top-100 in free throw attempts (424), 84th and in defensive rebounds per game (26.59), 97th.

Sophomore Jordan Enriquez (El Paso, TX/Bel Air ) leads the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game, good for 16th in the conference. Sophomore Willie McCray (Clovis, NM/Clovis/Westwind Prep Academy ) is second averaging 10.2 points per game. He led the team in scoring against the Javelinas going for 13 points. Enriquez and junior Latrell Spivey (Phoenix, AZ/Westview) paced the team with 13 points apiece against Angelo State. Spivey is third on the team in scoring at 9.5 per game and leads the team in rebounds at 9.1 per game. He is fourth in the conference in rebounding, while senior Emery Range (Grand Rapids, MI/Willow Canyon) is 10th at 5.6 per game. Several freshmen are also making a strong impact for the Mustangs this season with Eddie Giron (Monterrey, Mexico/Harmony Science Academy) tallying 8.4 points, CJ Vanbeekum (Phoenix, AZ/Paradise) with 5.1 and Alex Gonzalez Alvarez (Madrid, Spain/Xperia Zentro San Jorge) at 4.5. Nationally, Spivey is 45th in rebounds per game, 50th and fourth in the conference in defensive rebounds per game (6.35), 66th in total rebounds (155) and 89th and fifth in offensive rebounds per game (2.76).

WNMU will first face UT Permian Basin on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. The Falcons are red hot and are currently receiving votes in the NABC poll and are ranked 15th in the media poll. They are 14-4 overall and 6-3 in the conference and are currently winners of four straight. The biggest win was the one this past Saturday in which they went into Stephenville and bested Tarleton State, 76-64. The Falcons average a conference-high 89.9 points per game and are sixth in the conference allowing 78.4. Their 11.5 scoring margin is second in the LSC. They make 47.4 percent from the field, third-best in the conference and allow 40.3 percent, fourth best. UTPB claimed the 90-56 victory back on Dec. 3 in the first meeting between the teams. Enriquez led WNMU with 15 points, while Daeshone Francis led four Falcons in double-figures with 21 points.

Francis leads the team averaging 18.8 points per game, which lands him third in the conference. Teammate Johnnie Lacy isn't far behind tallying 16.7 per game which is good for fifth in the conference. The Falcons nearly have a third player in the top-10 in scoring as James McPherson averages 13.6 per game. Josh Morris rounds out the fourth averaging in double-digits at 10.4. Sammy Allen has been dominant on the boards bringing down 10.4 per game, second-best in the LSC. Francis is second in field goal percentage (58.6), while McPherson leads in three point field goal percentage (41.7).

It won't get any easier on Saturday at 4 p.m. when the Mustangs battle West Texas A&M. The Buffs are 18-4 overall and 6-3 in the conference and dropped their past two games against Tarleton State (91-73) and Texas A&M-Commerce (104-103, two overtimes). West Texas A&M has had two of their past five games go into overtime as they played a four OT marathon at Cameron and then this past Saturday at Texas A&M-Commerce. West Texas is ranked 20th in the latest NABC Poll and 18th in the media poll. They average 89.8 points per game and allow 78.7 ranking them second and eighth respectively. The Buffs make 45.4 percent from the field, fourth in the conference and allow 44.1 percent, eighth in the conference. WT took the earlier meeting this season 91-55 back on Dec. 1 in Canyon. Range and Giron led WNMU in that meeting scoring 10 points apiece. Jordan Evans led four Buffs in double-figures tallying 16.

Preseason LSC Player of the Year David Chavlovich is putting together another strong campaign as he not only leads the Buffs in scoring at 20.3 per game, but also the conference. He isn't the only one have a good season on the team, as Evans in second on the team in scoring at 14.1 and ranks ninth in the conference. Carl White is third on the team in scoring at 10.2 per game. Chavlovich is tied for the highest scoring game this season in the LSC with 36 against Oklahoma City and is tied for the fifth and ninth highest in the conference as well this year.

Live video, stats and audio will be available for both games with Mike Rowse on the call for KSCQ 92.9 and streamed live.

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Players Mentioned

#15 Jordan Enriquez: G; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#23 Willie McCray: G; 6' 1"; Sophomore

#5 Emery Range: G; 6' 5"; Senior

#20 Alex Gonzalez Alvarez: F; 6' 4"; Freshman

#32 Eddie Giron: G; 6' 5"; Freshman

#14 CJ Vanbeekum: G/F; 6' 5"; Freshman

#12 Latrell Spivey: F; 6' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#15 Jordan Enriquez
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: G

#23 Willie McCray
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: G

#5 Emery Range
: 6' 5"; Senior
: G

#20 Alex Gonzalez Alvarez
: 6' 4"; Freshman
: F

#32 Eddie Giron
: 6' 5"; Freshman
: G

#14 CJ Vanbeekum
: 6' 5"; Freshman
: G/F

#12 Latrell Spivey
: 6' 8"; Junior
: F