PUEBLO, Colo. (January 9, 2016) - Just hours after the Colorado State University-Pueblo women's basketball team locked up its best start in school history (13-2 overall), the men's team made some history of its own in Saturday's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference nightcap with a dominating 109-83 victory over Western New Mexico University.
The ThunderWolves knocked down 18 3-pointers (18-of-39, 46%), which tied the most made 3-pointers in a game in program history. The record was set against Colorado Christian University Jan. 22, 1999.
The Pack (10-5 overall, 6-3 RMAC) shot a blistering 57 percent from the floor Saturday, including 64 percent in the first half, en route to their highest scoring output since the 109-point effort against Eastern New Mexico University Nov. 18, 2014.
Thirteen different Pack players scored against the Mustangs (0-14 overall, 0-9 RMAC), including six in double figures. Junior Nelson Kahler (Noosa Heads, Australia) led CSU-Pueblo with a team-high 17 points. The six-foot-nine-inch center did not attempt a 3-point field, but did shoot an economical 7-of-10 from the floor while adding eight rebounds and four blocks in his 19 minutes.
Joining Kahler in double figures was Will Newman (Lawndale, Calif.) and Gavin Ligget (Limon, Colo.) with 15 points apiece, senior Chris Golden (Milwaukee, Wis.) with 14 points, junior Syrus McDonald (Flint, Mich.) with 12 points, and sophomore Josh Smith (Colorado Springs, Colo.) with 10 points. Ligget knocked down five of the 18 3-pointers, while Golden and Newman each had three.
CSU-Pueblo, which entered Saturday coming off an 88-69 victory over New Mexico Highlands University, never trailed against the Mustangs. A Newman 3-pointer at the 13:55 mark of the first half put the ThunderWolves up double-digits at 21-9. The Pack would build their lead to as many as 24 points at 40-16 with 10:23 remaining in the first half on a put-back by Kahler before taking a 56-37 advantage into the locker rooms.
The ThunderWolves hit 12 3-pointers in the first half, nine of which were in the game's first eight minutes by six different players. They hit on 60 percent (12-of-20) from 3-point range in the half.
Western New Mexico battled back to cut the deficit to 72-59 with 13:52 remaining, but Newman answered with back-to-back 3-pointers, sparking a 17-9 run by CSU-Pueblo over the next 5:31 to bump the lead back up to 20 at 88-68. The Mustangs never inched closer than 18 points the rest of the way.
The Pack eclipsed the century mark with 3:08 remaining in the second half on a made free throw by junior Brandon Kuiper (Wasilla, Alaska), who tallied six of the ThunderWolves' staggering 55 bench points on Saturday compared to the 28 for Western New Mexico.
CSU-Pueblo, which improved to 3-2 this season inside Massari Arena with the win, will have six days after before they host South Dakota School of Mines and Technology at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14.
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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.
