PUEBLO, Colo. (Jan. 25, 2020) – Black Hills State University recorded its 11th consecutive victory Saturday, as the Colorado State University-Pueblo men's basketball team lost the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference home game by the score of 94-76. 
 
Both teams shot above 60 percent from the field in the first half, but the Yellow Jackets (14-5, 11-2 RMAC) kept their foot on the gas in the second half and finished the game hitting 62.3 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from long range. The ThunderWolves (9-10, 7-6 RMAC) shot 50.8 percent from the field, but only hit four 3-pointers to BHSU's 12. 
 
Guard David Simental (R-So., Pueblo West, Colo.) led the Pack in scoring with 24 points. He was 9-for-15 (60%) from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line. 
 
Starters Jason Anderson (Sr., C, Colorado Springs, Colo.) and Jaedon Bowles (Fr., F, Aurora, Colo.) added 14 and 10 points, respectfully. 
 
Junior Bryce Sanchious (F, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) came off the bench and contributed 10 points and six rebounds. 
 
Senior guard Brandon McGhee (Oakland, Calif.) posted six points, six assists and five rebounds with a block and a steal. 
 
The first half had a ferocious pace and high energy from both squads. The teams traded buckets for the first 10 minutes, as there were 13 lead changes and a handful of ties during that stretch. Up one at 25-24 with 9:47 left, the ThunderWolves were able to stretch their lead with an 8-2 run that gave the home team the 33-26 advantage with 6:40 showing on the game clock. Three players scored in the run with Sanchious starting and ending it with layups. 
 
CSU-Pueblo's lead was still seven at 35-28 with 5:09 remaining, but it was the Yellow Jackets' turn to go on a run. A 14-5 stretch that ate up three minutes of game clock handed Black Hills State the lead at 42-40. An Anderson jumper stopped the run and tied the game 42-42, but the Yellow Jackets won the rest of the half and led 48-44 at the break. 
 
BHSU shot 62.5 percent from the field, hit seven 3-pointers and shot 53.8 percent from long range in the opening 20 minutes. The Pack shot 61.3 percent from the field, but still saw themselves down four. 
 
Simental came out of the locker room and scored seven points in the first 1:48 of the second half to lead a 7-2 run to put the ThunderWolves ahead 51-50.  
 
The teams then went toe-to-toe again and traded buckets down to 15:11 left in regulation. A Simental layup at that point had CSU-Pueblo ahead 59-58. Unfortunately, it would be the last lead of the game for the home team, as the Pack couldn't buy a bucket and the Yellow Jackets couldn't miss for the next five minutes. The lapse saw a 15-0 run by Black Hills State to break open a 73-59 advantage with 10 minutes to play. 
 
A monster dunk by Sanchious stopped the bleeding and sparked a two minute run by the Pack where they outscored their opponent 7-2 to cut the deficit to nine at 75-66. 
 
Nine points would be as close as the ThunderWolves would get, as the Yellow Jackets put the pedal down and finished the game only allowing the Pack to total 10 more points in an 18-point victory, 94-76. 
 
Next up is a four-game road trip for CSU-Pueblo. The ThunderWolves travel to Colorado School of Mines Jan. 31 and will play University of Colorado Colorado Springs Feb. 1. Game time in Golden is slated for 8 p.m. with a 7:30 p.m. tipoff schedule in Colorado Springs. 

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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.