Reid Scores 17 Points in Front of Hometown Crowd in Exhibition Opener

EL PASO, TEXAS — Senior forward Victor Reid (El Paso, Texas/Cochise CC) poured in 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the exhibition opener between the Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team and The University of Texas El Paso, Saturday night at  the Don Haskins Center. The Hounds led for much of the opening half, but the Miners controlled the final 20 minutes and defeated Eastern by an 80-76 score.

The Miners will be entering the 2010-11 season, looking to defend their regular-season Conference USA championships, while the Greyhounds are looking to build on a 2009-10 season which saw them miss the Lone Star Conference tournament by one game.

After the Miners took a 2-0 lead, 1:59 into the game on a Jeremy Williams jumper, Reid hit a three-point basket less than a minute later, igniting an 8-0 run by the Greyhounds, which included two free throws by Stefan Mirabal (Jr., G, Albuquerque, N.M./Sandia HS) and capped by a trey from Tralyn Harden (So., G, Itasca, Texas / Itasca HS/McLennan CC) three pointer with 15:40 left in the opening half.

Texas-El Paso used an 8-2 run of their own over the next 2:05 to pull even at 10-all. The teams traded baskets, with the Hounds pushing their lead back to eight points, 25-17, on a Reid jumper with 4:52 left in the half. The Miners chipped away at Eastern’s lead, tying the game, and then taking the lead for good on a pair of Julyan Stone free throws with 1:20 left until halftime.

Eastern trailed by as many as 16 points in the second half, but Aaron Edwards’ (Jr., F, Long Beach, Calif./Gardena HS San Bernardino Valley) three-point play sparked a 24-12 Greyhound surge, trimming ENMU’s deficit to four points, 74-70, with 1:13 left. The Miners held off the Hounds’ rally to pick up the 80-76 win.

ENMU shot 36.2 percent from the floor, including 37.5 percent from beyond the three-point arc. UTEP held a 49-35 edge on the boards. Edwards paced the Greyhounds with 19 points, seven boards and two steals, while Michael Maya (Fr., G, Chandler, Ariz./Valley HS) finished with 12 points and four assists. Mirabal had eight points, while Harden chipped in five points and five assists.

The Eastern New Mexico University men’s basketball team will continue their exhibition schedule on Wednesday, when they visit “The Pit,” to take on defending regular-season Mountain West Conference champion, University of New Mexico. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.