Las Vegas, New Mexico - New Mexico Highlands continues their long road trip to start the 2025-26 season with a pair of games at the South Central Regional Crossover in Portales this weekend. The Cowboys face Western New Mexico on Friday evening at 5:00 pm and then play host Eastern New Mexico at 7:00 pm.
The Cowboys enter play this weekend at 0-3 after competing in the D2CCA Tipoff Classic at The Trailhead last weekend in Billings, Montana. This weekend's games mark the season opener for the Mustangs and Greyhounds.
COACH SETTEMBRE: Coach
Zach Settembre makes his NMHU debut this weekend in Billings. Settembre brings an impressive resume to the helm of the Cowboys having served as an assistant coach at Tarleton State, New Mexico State, and Coastal Carolina. He was the head coach at Tallahassee Community College where he led his teams to back-to-back conference championships and a 46-9 record. Settembre's climb up the DI ranks was in part facilitated by one of the sport's legends. He is a 2012 graduate of Syracuse and served as a student manager under Jim Boeheim.
RMAC COACHES POLL: New Mexico Highlands men's basketball was picked 11th in the 2025-26 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll that was released last month. The Cowboys were 12-16 overall and 5-15 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last season.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION: Western New Mexico was 5-23 overall and 4-18 in the Lone Star Conference a year ago. Mark Bunker, a graduate of Arizona State, is in his third season leading the Mustang program. WNMU was picked 15th in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll. The Cowboys edged the Mustangs 74-71 in Silver City last season and hold an 8-2 edge in the last ten games played in the series.
Eastern New Mexico was 18-11 overall and 13-9 in conference play in 2024-25. Daven Vo is starting his second season as the head coach of the Greyhounds. ENMU was tied for sixth with Angelo State in the Lone Star Conference Preseason Poll. The Greyhounds topped the Cowboys 94-82 last year in Portales. Over the last ten games in the series history the two teams are deadlocked at 5-5.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING: Through the opening weekend of play a trio of Cowboys is scoring in double-figures led by
Marcus Pierce at 16.5 points per game.
Dontae Walker (11.7/game) and
Nikk Williams (10.3/game) are also in double-figures.
Robert Dix (9.0/game) and Nikk Willams (8.3/game) are the top rebounders.
TEST THEM COWBOYS: Coach Settembre assembled a challenging non-conference schedule of games this season. The Cowboys play three Division I opponents; North Texas, New Mexico State, and New Mexico.
The season kicked-off with games against Montana State-Billings, Angelo State, and Central Missouri last weekend at the D2CCA Tipoff Classic at The Trailhead last weekend in Billings, Montana. Also on the schedule are dates with Western New Mexico, Eastern New Mexico, and Cameron from the Lone Star Conference.
The Cowboys will have played eight games in four different states before they play their home opener in historic Las Vegas on November 28th against Western New Mexico.
The 2025-26 RMAC season kicks off on December 4th when the Cowboys travel to Denver to play Regis University.
ON THE AIR: This weekend's games are available for purchase on
FLOCollege and Eastern New Mexico will provide LiveStats.
UP NEXT: The Cowboys have a well deserved break after Saturday's game against Eastern New Mexico as they get ten days off before traveling to Lawton, Oklahoma, for a 5:00 pm (MT) game with Cameron University on November 25th.
GET YOUR TICKETS: Season tickets for NMHU basketball are on sale now and can be purchased on-line at
NMHUAthletics.com/Tickets.
