PUEBLO, Colo. (January 16, 2016) — For the Colorado State University-Pueblo men's basketball team, Saturday's showdown with Black Hills State University couldn't have started much better, with the Pack hitting three of their first four shots to jump out to an 8-2 lead before some fans could find their seats.
Unfortunately, for the ThunderWolves, little else would go their way over the final 38 minutes as they scuffled to an 82-62 loss to the visiting Yellow Jackets.
The loss to BHSU (9-6 overall, 7-4 RMAC) was a disappointing end to an otherwise successful four-game home stand for the Pack (11-6 overall, 7-4 RMAC), who went 3-1 inside the friendly confines of Massari Arena to start the spring semester.
CSU-Pueblo held its largest lead of the game at 8-2 with 18:33 remaining in the first half, following a 3-pointer from senior Chris Golden (Milwaukee, Wis.), who finished with team highs in points (19) and rebounds (7).
The Yellow Jackets answered with a 17-2 run over the ensuing 5:10 to take a 19-10 advantage and never looked back, cashing in on 13 points off seven first-half turnovers and an uncharacteristically 35 percent shooting performance by CSU-Pueblo, en route to a 36-23 halftime lead. The 23 points was the lowest scoring output in any half this season for CSU-Pueblo.
Despite the shooting woes, and a 19-point deficit at the 18:32 mark of the second half, the Pack rallied to give themselves a chance in the second half. Golden and Will Newman (Lawndale, Calif.), who scored 11 points off the bench Saturday, splashed back-to-back 3-pointers to get the Pack within 10 at 51-41 with 12:38 remaining.
Coming out of the timeout, Golden had a chance to get CSU-Pueblo back within seven after he was fouled on a 3-pointer, but had to settle for 1-of-3 from the line, cutting the Yellow Jackets' lead to 51-42 with 11:58 remaining.
Golden's free throw marked the closest the Pack would get to the Yellow Jackets in the second half as BHSU countered with a 12-4 run over of its own over the next 5:52 to build its lead back up to 17 and pull away for the eventual 82-62 final.
Senior guard Odessa Lear (Parkhill, Colo.) finished with nine points and six rebounds, and junior center Nelson Kahler (Noosa Heads, Australia) added eight points and seven rebounds to help pace the Pack.
The ThunderWolves will have five days off to regroup before heading out on the road to play in-state rival Colorado School of Mines (12-5 overall, 7-4 RMAC) at 8 p.m. Friday in Golden. The game will be televised on Comcast CET.
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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.
