PUEBLO, Colo. (January 15, 2016) – The Colorado State University-Pueblo men's basketball team knocked down a school record 20 3-pointers and recorded its fourth straight victory Friday, as it rolled up visiting Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference newcomer South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, 89-53 at Massari Arena.
During the four-game winning streak, the ThunderWolves (11-5, 7-3 RMAC) have outscored their opponent 357 (89.3 ppg) to 268 (67 ppg) and hit 50 3-pointers, while allowing just 19 from long range.
The ThunderWolves tied the program record for 3-pointers Saturday with 18, but two buckets from beyond the arc in the final minutes established a new program record. The mark was just two shy of tying the RMAC record of 22, established by Western State vs New Mexico Highlands in the 1999-00 season.
The Pack entered the game averaging 10.3 buckets from beyond the 3-point line, which ranked 18th in NCAA Division II.
Senior guard Chris Golden (Milwaukee, Wis.) knocked down eight 3-pointers, en route to a game-high 24 points for the Pack. The eight daggers from downtown is tied for second most by Pack player in school history. The record is 10 and the last time a player hit eight (four tied) was 2007. He entered the game with 3.2 3-pointers per game, which ranked 29th nationally.
Sophomore Josh Smith (G, Colorado Springs, Colo.) added 13 points and five rebounds off the bench, as he hit four 3-pointers. Junior Nelson Kahler (C, Noosa Heads, Australia) totaled 12 points and eight rebounds. The league's block leader added to his total, which ranks 17th nationally, with four Friday. Senior Odessa Lear (F, Parkhill, Colo.) laded the stat sheet with 11 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block in 24 minutes of play
The Pack shot 48.4 percent overall (58.3 percent in the second half), while hitting on a 4.5 percent clip from long range. CSU-Pueblo also held the Hardrockers (7-7, 5-5 RMAC) to just 32.8 percent.
The ThunderWolves raced out to a quick 21-2 lead six minutes into the contest. The Pack were shooting around 70 percent during the run and allowed the Hardrockers to hit on just 10 percent of its attempts. The Pack had seven different players score during the stretch, guided by Golden's six.
The Pack failed to score for the next 6:24, as a Lear old-fashioned 3-point play stopped the dry spell. South Dakota Mines used the cold shooting by the home team to go on a 9-0 run and the score was 24-11 with just under eight to go.
The ThunderWolves won the remainder of the half 15-6 to post a 39-17 lead at the break. The Pack shot 42.4 percent from the field, while holding the Hardrockers to 25 percent. CSU-Pueblo also won the boards 26-17 and knocked down six 3-pointers. Nine different players scored in the first 20 minutes, guided by Golden's nine.
The ThunderWolves hit on 14 3-poiners in the second half to never allow a response from the road team. CSU-Pueblo's lead hit 40 with 1:49 left before settling on the 35-point margin.
The ThunderWolves will cap their four-game homestand Saturday when they hosts Black Hills State University (8-6, 6-4 RMAC) at 7:30 p.m.
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
