Eastern Athletics News

Williams Signs Professional Contract

Greyhound senior Jasmine Williams signed a professional contract with the Warwick Senators basketball team in Australia, not long after learning her team wouldn’t be playing its scheduled NCAA playoff contest due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. The senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, would play forward for the team.

The senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, would play forward forthe team.

“We are all excited and proud of Jasmine Williams, she has worked extremely hard and deserves this honor,” said ENMU Women’s Basketball Coach Josh Prock. “We all know she will represent herself and ENMU very well. She has been a great representative for our program and University.”

Prock Earns 200 Career Wins

ENMU women’s basketball head coach Josh Prock registered his 200th NCAA career victory with his team’s 60–45 victory over Texas A&M-Kingsville in January.

Prock just completed his seventh regular season at the helm of the ENMU Women's Basketball Program and has led the Hounds to their first three NCAA Tournament berths in the last four seasons.

Their latest NCAA appearance against Texas A&M-Commerce was cancelled due to concerns over the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. In mid-March, the NCAA announced it was canceling all spring sports and practices, cutting short the entire ENMU athletic calendar.

To secure their NCAA Tournament berth, the Hounds upset Tarleton State in the quarterfinal round of the LSC tournament, 66–62. It was a game that wasn’t decided until the final seconds.

Eastern won its first-round game against Oklahoma Christian before falling to Texas A&M-Commerce in the semifinals. The Oklahoma Christian victory gave Coach Prock 100 wins since taking the helm of ENMU Women’s Basketball Program.

Prock was named as one of four finalists for the 2020 NCAA Division II World Exposure woman’s head coach of the year.

Billings Appointed as New Athletic Director

Matt Billings took the reins as Eastern’s new director of athletics on Jan. 20. He came to ENMU from Portland State University and holds bachelor’s degrees from Utah State University in political science and Idaho State University in economics. He also holds a master’s degree from Idaho State University in athletic administration. Photo of ENMU Director of Athletics Matt Billings and wife, Christi Billings.

Greyhounds Claim Post-Season Bowl Victory

By Ryan Shumaker

Greyhound Football used a key defensive stop late in the fourth quarter and two early touchdowns to claim a 20–13 victory in the2019 Heritage Bowl over Southern Arkansas in December.

The difference in the game was a stellar second half of defensive football for the Hounds as Eastern scored on their opening possession of the game and never relinquished the lead despite the Muleriders starting in quality field position twice in the third and fourth quarters.

Both drives were created for SouthernArkansas by two costly fumbles for the Greyhounds, but the defense for the Hounds rose to the occasion and limited the opposition to a field goal and a turnover on downs with a stop with 2:03remaining in the contest.

Southern Arkansas was gifted good field position at the 50-yard-line with 8:46 remaining in the game after a Greyhound fumble, but the Hound defense rose to the occasion and forced a punt to send the Greyhound offense onto the field at their own 13-yard line.

Greyhound senior Paul Terry was crowned the 2019 Heritage Bowl Most Valuable Player after scoring all three Eastern touchdowns and rushing for 110 yards.

When Eastern couldn’t put together a drive and punted, the Muleriders covered 75 yards in seven plays to set up a fourth-and-goal situation at the Hound five.

Defensive linemen Daniel Garces and Quincy Arceneuax combined to stop the Mulerider rushing attempt just shy of the goal line at the ENMU one-yard line to give the Hounds the ball back, effectively ending the game.

Eastern set the school record for rushing yards in a season in the process, breaking the previous mark of 4,144 yards set by the 2015 team, finishing the 2019 campaign with 4,184 rushing yards.

The Greyhounds also broke the Lone Star Conference record for rushing attempts in a season with a total of 770 attempts, eclipsing the previous total of 731 set in 2016 by ENMU.

The Hounds finished the season 8–4, matching the second-highest win total in program history. That etched their name into the record books as one of the most prolific rushing offenses in the nation.