Triangle Offense

By Robert Graham

Texico produced two sharpshooters for ENMU Women’s Greyhound basketball: Jaylyn and Jordyn Cooper. Along with their cousin, Desiree, the Cooper twins run the triangle offense of college to perfection.

Desiree was one of two students to represent ENMU at the 2015 National Conference for College Women Student Leaders (NCCWSL). She is the assistant editor for the University’s weekly publication the Monday Memo. Her weekly column the “Coop Scoop” explores popular culture topics. She also co-coordinates the University’s social media platform, serves as president of ENMU’s chapter of the American Association of University Women, and is a member of the Chi Omega Theta Zeta women’s fraternity where she has held four executive board positions, including president. Desiree earned the Department of Communication Outstanding Public Relations Student of the Year two years in a row.

L-R: Jaylyn, Desiree and Jordyn Cooper pose outside the Administration building.

Photo by Robert Graham

Like their cousin, the Cooper twins are leaders. The University recognized Jaylyn this past season as Women’s Basketball Academic Player of the Year. Asked about leadership, Jordyn commented, “the best leaders are those who simply let their actions lead the way of their leadership.” The Cooper twins helped out with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Emergency Food Assistance Program food distribution to needy families. Community service is important to all three of the cousins.

The Cooper trio will form the third generation of ENMU graduates for the family. Their paternal grandmother Billie Cooper (MED 82, BA 81), the twins’ mother Diane Cooper (BSE 87), sister Kelly Fontanilla (BSE 02) and Desiree’s father Britt Cooper (BSE 86) preceded Jordyn, Jaylyn and Desiree. “Our grandmother lives in Portales, and we get to spend a lot of time with her,” says the Cooper trio. The twins’ mother died in 2000 from breast cancer; Desiree’s father serves as the head coach for Roswell High School’s varsity men’s basketball team.

Others have perfected the triangle offense on the basketball court, but the Cooper trio has perfected it both on and off the court.