Mustangs Open Second Round of Conference Play Against UT- Permian Basin

Men's Basketball 1/30/2019 10:44:00 AM

Mustangs Open Second Round of Conference Play Against UT- Permian Basin

Silver City, N.M – Western New Mexico men's basketball starts the second round of conference play at home this week, playing host to the UT – Permian Basin Falcons.

LAST TIME OUT:

The Mustangs were on the road last weekend, with the tall task of taking on then ranked Texas A&M – Commerce, and Tarleton State.

Western started the weekend off on a high note, defeating the Lions on their home court in overtime. Trading points throughout the first half, costly turnovers allowed the Lions to take a ten- point lead going into the break.

The Mustangs would not go down without a fight, taking the lead towards the end of regulation play before a last minute shot by Commerce tied it up. With only five minutes of extra play, the two teams went back and forth with the Lions taking the lead with one minute left to play. Davis Wade (Jackson, MS/Will C Wood) was fouled on a three-point attempt bringing him to the foul line with the chance to take the lead. Missing the first but connecting on the second and third gave Western a 74-73 advantage and the game as a last effort from the Lions fell short.

Jon-Reese Woodson (Corpus Christi, TX/Carroll) finished with a double-double, tallying 17 points and 11 rebounds. Three other Mustangs finished in double-digits as well.

Looking to continue their winning ways, Western headed to Tarleton State for their second match of the weekend and picked up where they left off going on a 10-0 run. Strong defense gave way to a Texan run and the lead at the half.

Unable to stop the Texan offense, Tarleton took home a 69-59 win. Leston Gordon (Tunapuna, Trinidad and Tobago/Tunapuna Government Secondary) finished with a double-double, grabbing 18 points and 11 boards.

SCOUTING THE FALCONS:

Under the leadership of first year head coach Josh Newman, the Falcons sit 10-9 overall, 3-6 in conference play, and looking to break a four-game losing streak.

As the top scoring offense in the conference, junior guard Jacob Ledoux plays a large part in that. Averaging 17.1 points per game (43.7 %) puts him second in scoring this season. His 1.5 steals a game also puts him at #9 in the conference standings. Teammate Kyree Elder joins the offensive effort, sitting at #6 overall with 14.9 points per game.

Defensively, the Falcons rely on Xavier Ledet who averages 7.2 rebounds per game, sixth overall in the conference.

HISTORY VERSUS THE FALCONS:

The two teams met up back on 8^th of December to open up conference play. With the home court advantage the Falcons took home a 101-77 win over the Mustangs. Willie McCray (Clovis, NM/Clovis/Westwind Prep Academy) finished with 14 points, followed by Amarion Cash (Phoenix, AZ/Mountain Pointe) with 12.

Seven Falcons contributed to the win, all with double-digit scoring. The defensive efforts were also in favor of the Falcons as they out-rebounded Western 48-25.

Since joining the Lone Star, Permian Basin leads the series 4-0.

LOOKING AHEAD:

With their first conference win under their belt, the Mustangs yearn for more. There are no familiar faces as the team enters the second round of play and the men have the tools to close the gap on their opponents.

Jon-Reese Woodson (Corpus Christi, TX/Carroll) continues to have a strong offensive output for the Mustangs, averaging 13.0 points per game ranking 13^th overall in the conference standings. Woodson also leads the team in rebounds grabbing 5.6 a game. Willie McCray (Clovis, NM/Clovis/Westwind Prep Academy) continues to add to his numbers as well, averaging 11.0 points, 1.4 steals and 1.8 assists per game.

Newcomer Amarion Cash (Phoenix, AZ/Mountain Pointe) is making a name for himself, averaging 6.3 points per game shooting 53.6 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from three-point range and 82.4 percent from the free throw line. In their win against Texas A&M- Commerce Cash posted 12 points, hitting 5-6 from the floor and a perfect 2-2 from the perimeter.
Game time is set for 6 p.m. on Drag's Court.

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