SILVER CITY, N.M. (GoThunderWolves.com - Dec. 14, 2012) - CSU-Pueblo suffered its sixth loss in seven games Friday as it fell to a 99-87 defeat at Western New Mexico.

In a game that was much closer than the score would indicate, the Mustangs put up a several late vanity points to pad its lead after the game was neck-and-neck for the first 30 minutes of the game.

The Pack started off the game strongly, going up by as much as nine in the first half, opening the game with an 11-3 lead.  As the Pack got off to its fast start, which saw a 20-11 lead at its height, the ThunderWolves sank four three-pointers and hit eight of its first 14 attempts.

After that, however, the Pack's lead slowly slipped away as the game descended into a back-and-forth affair.  The Mustangs took its first lead with 7:35 left in the first half after a 12-2 run, eventually holding on to a 41-40 lead going into halftime.

The game was volatile in the second half as 10 lead changes took place in the first six minutes alone before the Mustangs set itself up to sprint ahead of the Pack.  Leading 69-67 with 7:55 left, Western New Mexico surged on a 15-0 run that put it up 84-67 and very much out of reach for the ThunderWolves.

The game was defined in large part by the Mustangs' ability to hit three-pointers all night long.  Western New Mexico hit 14 three-pointers, led by six threes off the bench by Andy Sohlich, who torched the Pack for 35 points.

The ThunderWolves were led by four players scoring in double figures, including Ryan Arel (Sr., Shawnee, Kan.), who set a career-high for a second consecutive game with 22 points.  Arden Dennis (Sr., Denver, Colo.) and Nate Tigner (Jr., Fort Worth, Fla.) each added 16 while J.J. Mina (Jr., Elk Grove, Calif.) scored 14.  

The Pack, now 2-9, will look to right the ship Saturday when it travels to New Mexico Highlands Saturday night.