PUEBLO, Colo. (Feb. 22, 2019) - The Colorado State University-Pueblo men's basketball team suffered a 70-62 setback Friday in a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference home contest against Chadron State College. 

The ThunderWolves (6-20, 4-16 RMAC) shot just 33.3 percent from the field, but held the visiting Eagles (12-14, 10-10 RMAC) to 37.5 percent. CSC hit just one 3-pointer out of 14 attempts, while the Pack had seven from long range. Both teams got to the line, as Chadron State went 27-for-34 (79.4%) and CSU-Pueblo was 21-for-30 (70%). The Pack lost the rebounding battle 47-31, which included allowing 14 offensive rebounds, which translated into 15 second-chance points. The Eagles also won the paint by the score of 34-18. 

Freshman Tyson Gilbert (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) finished with a season-high 23 points. He shot 6-for-10 (60%) from the field, went 4-of-7 (57.1%) from long range and hit on 7-of-9 (77.8%) of his free throws. The point guard also added five rebounds in 33 minutes played. 

Redshirt-junior Donovan Oldham (Colorado Springs, Colo.) scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half. He tied for the team lead with six rebounds. Center Jason Anderson (R-Jr., Colorado Springs, Colo.) also gathered six rebounds, while he totaled 12 points and a dished out a team-best three assists. 

The first half saw the ThunderWolves leading for 17:14 of the 20 minute session, but trailing by two at the break, 31-29. The Pack got a 3-pointer from Anderson on their first trip down the floor and the home team was able to hold a two-possession lead through the first 12 minutes of the contest. CSU-Pueblo's largest lead was 11 at 20-9 with 8:14 showing on the game clock. A pair of Gilbert free throws capped a 7-0 run to open the double digit lead. 

The Eagles chipped away at the deficit and with 2:15 remaining in the half tied the game 27-27 before taking their first lead, 29-27 with 1:44 showing. The teams traded a couple points to get to the two-point difference at halftime. 

The lead changed twice and the contest was knotted on another two occasions during the second half, but all that came in the first five minutes. Two Oldham points from the charity stripe had the ThunderWolves leading 37-36 with 15:30 left in regulation, but that would prove to be the last lead of the game for the Pack. CSC posted a 7-1 run to open a five point advantage at 43-38 with 12:23 remaining. 

CSU-Pueblo was within just one point on three occasions during the rest of the frame, which included trailing 55-54 with 4:06 remaining. The Pack just couldn't break the hold the Eagles had on the lead and faltered down the stretch to lose by eight, 70-62. 

The ThunderWolves are back at it Saturday with a 7:30 p.m. RMAC contest against Metro State University of Denver at Massari Arena. 

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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.