SALT LAKE CITY (Feb. 13, 2021) – Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball guard David Simental (R-Jr., Pueblo West, Colo.) established a program record with 48 points Saturday at Westminster College, but the ThunderWolves would suffer a heartbreaking overtime defeat, 106-103, in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game. 
 
Down three at 85-82 with 1:26 left, the Pack went on an 8-2 run to lead 90-87 with just five ticks left in regulation. The Griffins brought the ball down and put up a desperation 3-point attempt, which banked in from well beyond the 3-point line to force the extra session. WC would take the momentum into the overtime session and find the conference victory. 
 
Twenty times the lead changed and on nine occasions the game was, as the ThunderWolves (3-7, 3-7 RMAC) countered Westminster's (7-8, 7-8 RMAC) strong inside game with a season-high 14 3-pointers. The Griffins totaled 66 points in the paint and shot 62.7 percent from the field. CSU Pueblo went 14-for-27 from long range for a 51.9 percent effort. In the game the team shot 49.2 percent from the field. For the second straight game, the Pack were extremely efficient from the free throw line and hit 25-of-27 from the charity stripe for a 92.6 percentage. 
 
Simental had 43 points at the end of regulation to eclipse his previous career-high of 42 points, which he accomplished in an overtime loss at Fort Lewis College, Dec. 7, 2019. The junior closed the game with 48 points, which surpasses the program's previous single game scoring record of 46 points by Damon Williams on Jan. 24, 1997.
 
Simental went 14-for-20 (70%) from the field, 5-of-8 (62.5%) from long range and 15-for-16 (93.8%) from the free throw line. 
 
Postgame Comment
 
"It was back and forth and we knew it was going to come down to a defensive stop in regulation," said CSU Pueblo Head Men's Basketball Coach Matt Hammer. "We got it and we made free throws, but it is 100 percent on me that we lost this game. Up three with five seconds left, you have to foul and put them on the line and that is something I'm going to have to live with. Offensively we don't have too many problems. With us it's defense. It's developing a defensive mentality. We have a long ways to go and this is going to hurt and I have to do better there at the end of regulation." 
 
"David is a special player and a special person," Hammer said. "He has an amazing work ethic and the thing with him is if we could have won this game and he scored zero points, that's the way he would want it. He is a warrior, fights, competes and goes 100 percent all the time and that is what you want in a leader like him." 
 
Stat Leaders
 
Lian Ramiro (Fr., G, Aurora, Colo.) returned after missing the last two games to score 19 points. He also led the team with seven rebounds and dished out a team best six assists. He hit five 3-pointers and went 5-for-7 (71.4%) from long range. 
 
Tre Brown (R-Jr., G, Tacoma, Wash.) and De'Shaun Cooper (Fr., F, Poway, Calif.) each added 11 points. Guard Tristan Hurdle (Fr., Highlands Ranch, Colo.) had three, 3-pointers for nine points. 
 
Summary
 
After neither team had a lead more than one possession for the first half of the opening frame, Westminster owned a 43-35 lead with 1:11 left in the first. CSU Pueblo countered and finished with a 5-2 run and were just down five at 45-40 at the break. 
 
With 9:31 left the second half, the Griffins led 66-56, but a 12-4 run by the ThunderWolves had the road team within two at 70-68 with 7:05 left. Simental had six points in the stretch.
 
The game was back and forth again until that 1:26 mark when the Pack was down 85-82 and went on a run to hold a 3-point lead with five seconds left. The banked three tied the game and sent the contest to overtime.
 
Cooper scored the first five points for the ThunderWolves and with 2:23 left the Pack trailed 96-95. A senior Bryce Sanchious (F, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) old-fashioned three-point play put the road team ahead at 98-97 with 2:02 left. After a Griffin turnover the ThunderWolves had a chance to extend the lead, but missed the shot. WC scored on their next possession, then a Pack turnover and a Griffin bucket put Westminster up 101-98 with 33 seconds showing on the clock. 
 
Two Simental free throws cut the deficit to one at 101-100 with 25 seconds left. Unfortunately, the Pack couldn't get any closer and fell 106-103. 
 
Up Next
 
CSU Pueblo stays on the road Monday to face Metro State University of Denver at 6 p.m. The Pack then host Western Colorado University Tuesday at 6 p.m. Both contests are makeup games from previously postponed contests. 

-- PACK --