Free-throw woes constitute difference between Pack and York College.

PUEBLO, Colo. (GoThunderWolves.com - Nov. 19, 2010) - Despite a strong shooting night and several good individual performances, free-throw woes were the difference for the ThunderWolves Friday in their season-opener against York College, losing 73-69.

Sending five new starters to the floor to start 2010-11, CSU-Pueblo clicked right away as Daniel Pierce (Sr., Edgewood, N.M.) dished to Ty Trahern (Jr., Kit Carson, Colo.) for an opening dunk.  Pierce was the difference maker in the first half, going for eight points and 10 boards in the first half alone, part of his 16 points and career-high 13 rebounds on the game.  But York and its fast moving offense eventually caught up, scrapping back to trail the ThunderWolves 36-34 at halftime.

As the game drifted on in the second half, though, and York dictating play with an up-tempo offensive pace, the ThunderWolves fell behind by several buckets, trailing by as much as nine midway through the second half.

Though CSU-Pueblo shot a decent 42.9 percent from the field, it was its performance at the charity stripe which arguably cost them the game.  The ThunderWolves were just 9-for-19 from the line, which would have easily closed the final margin for the Pack if it had sunk a few extra buckets.

With the loss, the ThunderWolves open 0-1 and will look to close the 26th Annual Al Kaly Classic Saturday when it hosts Oklahoma Panhandle State, which lost 72-43 to Mesa State Friday night in Al Kaly opener.