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New Mexico’s First National Basketball Title
Recap of 1969 Sports Information Director Winston Cox, taken from 1969-70 Media Guide (verbatim)
The hustle team from New Mexico had done what no other basketball team in the state had ever accomplished. The Greyhounds of Eastern, with a convincing 23-point win in the deciding game of the Kansas City finals last March, became the NAIA champs of 1969 and brought home the first national basketball title to New Mexico.
The fortunate fans who traveled to the national finals will remember that all was not rosy for the District 7 title holders, since they entered the tournament seeded 12th in a field of 32 teams.
Graduating senior John Irwin contributed 37 points in the first game against Miliken University, and the Hounds won going away, 89-71. Eastern defeated Eastern Michigan University 77-69 in the second round, earning the right to play High Point University in the quarterfinals. It was in this round that Eastern lost out two years earlier by a two-point margin.
In an action-packed game, typical of NAIA play, the Hounds, who were 19-7 during the year, edged by High Point 77-33, and advanced to the semifinals to the delight of several hundred fans from Eastern New Mexico on hand for the game.
Eastern nudged Elizabeth City State College 75-72, to enter the finals. The precision Hounds played one of their best second halves of the year, humbled Maryland State College 99-76 and returned home to join a 15-mile caravan of well wishers at the New Mexico border. A large championship banner now rests in Greyhound Arena.
